Posted by By YINKA FABOWALE, Ibadan on
The Lagos State government said it is working in concert with the Federal Government to divert traffic from the Third Mainland Bridge and make it less stressful for users during the planned repairs on the bridge.
The Lagos State government said it is working in concert with the Federal Government to divert traffic from the Third Mainland Bridge and make it less stressful for users during the planned repairs on the bridge.
Governor Babatunde Fashola said while fielding questions from newmen in Abuja after the National Economic Council Meeting at the State House, that although the bridge needed repairs, whatever action that would be taken concerning the bridge would be announced by the state government.
The Governor, who said he had a meeting on the issue with the Minister for Transportation Thursday morning, declared, 'We are working closely with the Federal Government. We were in agreement that we will manage the challenges of traffic and therefore we are looking at all of the options on how to divert traffic and make it less stressful."
Some of such options, the Governor hinted, may be to restrict the use of the bridge, during the repairs, to high occupancy vehicles only or to limit the use to odd and even numbers only 'so that people who have no business going out during peak period will stay off the bridge at the time so that we all can move in stress free manner".
'The plan is to divert traffic into sections of the bridge to enable repairs to take place. We realize that considering the volume of traffic that the bridge manages everyday, even the planned diversion will have severe traffic implications", the Governor said adding that there are serious plans by the State Government to ensure that the period of repair of the bridge would not create traffic chaos in the Metropolis.
'All of the experts are working. Traffic managers, traffic planners with the contractors, LASTMA, LAMATA, the FRSC, everybody is on ground and when we are ready we will announce the plan, the date and do the count-down and also announce the mitigating measures that we have taken", the Governor said.
The news of the impending closure of the bridge first broke over Lagos on Wednesday sending shock waves across the State and even beyond especially among public and private sector workers as well as businessmen and women who work on the Lagos and Victoria Islands and Ikoyi.
The news also elicited spontaneous reactions from Lagosians most of who thought that the announcement was too sudden and there was no preparation on ground for an alternative route to the Islands which serves as the major business hub of the nation.
Built about 19 years ago, the Third Mainland Bridge which serves as a major link between the Lagos Mainland and the Islands has suffered some damage at some of the joints due to stress causing it to shake noticeably especially at peak traffic periods.