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Tag: Third Mainland Bridge

  • BREAKING: Third Mainland Bridge resumes full operations April 4

    BREAKING: Third Mainland Bridge resumes full operations April 4

    Barring any last minute change in plans, the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, which has been partially closed to traffic in the last seven weeks, will be re-opened on April 4, 2024. 

    Lagos Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, confirmed the re-opening on Saturday, March 30 in a statement. 

    Osiyemi said: “Dear Lagos Residents, We’re pleased to share that the Third Mainland Bridge will resume full operations on April 4th, 2024, following extensive repairs.

    Read Also: FEC okays N1.3tr for 28 roads, bridges

    “We sincerely thank you for your patience and cooperation, and we look forward to even smoother travels ahead.”

  • Total shutdown of Third Mainland Bridge today

    Total shutdown of Third Mainland Bridge today

    There will be no vehicular movement on the dual carriage Third Mainland Bridge for 24 hours beginning from noon today, the Federal Ministry of Works has announced.

    The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, who dropped the hint in a statement, said that the total closure was in continuation of the ongoing rehabilitation of the bridge.

    She said it was to allow the contractor carry out major repair on the bridge.

    The statement reads: “Consequently, the bridge would not be opened to traffic during this critical 24-hour period. Thus, all road users are advised to use alternative routes during this period.

    “Motorists are further advised to cooperate with the traffic management officials deployed to manage traffic and ensure hitch- free movements in order to minimize the discomfort during this critical 24-hour period.

    Read Also: Be patient with us, Speaker Abbas appeals to Nigerians

     “While thanking the general public for their continued cooperation and understanding, please note that all inconveniences are highly regretted,” she said.

    The Lagos State Government, through its Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, also gave a notification for the planned total closure of the bridge.

    “All road users are advised to use alternative routes already provided during this period as the bridge will not be opened to traffic for 24-hours,” Osiyemi said.

    Thanking the general public for their patience and cooperation, Osiyemi assured that the traffic management officials would be on ground to manage traffic and minimise inconveniences.

  • Third Mainland bridge closed for 24-hour repair 

    Third Mainland bridge closed for 24-hour repair 

    The Third Mainland Bridge will undergo a 24-hour traffic closure, starting from midnight on Sunday, February 18, until midnight on Monday, February 19. 

    Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, revealed this information on Saturday.

    The closure aims to facilitate crucial repairs on a section of the bridge.

    “Notification of 24 hours closure of Iyana-Oworonshoki – Lagos Island bound Traffic From 12.00 a.m on Sunday February 18th to 12.00 am on Monday February, 19, 2024.

    She said: “The federal government through the Federal Ministry of Works wish to inform the motoring public that the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos will not be available for 24 hours for motorists from Iyana Oworonshoki- Lagos Island bound.

    “Traffic resumes on Monday by 12.00 a.m on this bound.

    “However, motorists coming out of the Island and heading towards Oworonshoki will have full access throughout the 24 hours closure.

    “The temporary 24 hours closure of the Iyana Oworonshoki- Adeniji Adele bound traffic is to enable the ministry carry out effective repairs on an important section of the bridge,” Kesha said.

    Motorists are encouraged to seek alternative routes, follow instructions from traffic authorities, and remain patient with government officials during the 24-hour closure of the bridge for repairs.

    Suggested alternative routes for motorists during the repair period include Ojota-Ikorodu Road-Funsho Williams Avenue-Eko Bridge-Apogbon-CMS, Ojota-Ikorodu Road-Jibowu-Yaba-Oyingbo-Iddo-Carter bridge-CMS, and Gbagada-Anthony-Ikorodu Road-Funsho Williams-Eko Bridge-Apogbon-CMS.

  • A near occurrence at Third Mainland Bridge

    A near occurrence at Third Mainland Bridge

    In a world in which living and dying walk hand in hand like inseparable companions and like tested and testy comrades, it is sometimes impossible to separate living from dying, or in fact factual occurrence itself from fiction for that matter. Human society is full of strange and outlandish characters and even stranger and more outlandish occurrences.

       Can any of our readers remember reading a short story titled, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge? As a callow impressionable youth, yours sincerely remember reading the gripping stuff.  But age and the passage of time have so denuded memory and the capacity for instant recall that one is no longer sure of what is actual fiction or sheer imaginative concoctions.

    Fortunately, where human memory fails or falters, robotic intelligence takes over. A Goggle engine search has rendered further speculations nugatory. The fiction is for real. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge written by Ambrose Bierce is an outstanding work of fiction. Haunting and memorably crafted, it is the story of the American civil war and a plantation owner in the deep South who was hanged for impeding the movement of Union troops.

     Farquhar thought he had escaped the hangman’s noose by jumping into the river. We follow him as he evaded the dragnet until he got home and was about to embrace his beloved wife. That was when the whole thing turned out to be a hoax, a piece of posthumous gallivanting. Farquhar was actually dead and his crumpled body lay by the side of the bridge.

       Last week, it felt very much like an Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge while yours sincerely was traversing The Third Mainland Bridge in the dead of the night after attending a reception in honour of our aburo, Arch Tayo Babalakin, on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday.

    As the vehicle approached the loneliest stretch of the elongated wonder which curls and slithers its way through the murky waters of the Lagos lagoon like a massive anaconda, a loud explosion was heard from the rear of the vehicle, shattering the stillness of the night. Perhaps afraid of the shadows and his own shadow, the driver refused to stop. The vehicle trundled on for another kilometre before one barked firm instruction for the driver to stop.

      An eerie silence ensued.  Marked by bumps and distending asphalt, it was a particularly nasty spot to stop. None of the speeding cars, out of a natural instinct for self-preservation, was willing to test fate and their luck. The driver was shivering. Our spouse was palpitating with premonition. Yours sincerely asked her to get out of the vehicle, but she firmly declined. As one jumped out of the car, one concluded that this might be a divine way of preserving one crucial leg of the family.

     The sense of foreboding became overbearing. It was as if one was having an out of body experience. The rear tire had been blown to shreds and smithereens revealing the grim rim. It was only a question of time before men of the underworld or the underwater materialized. One remembered our friend, Ibrahim Babatunde Jose, who often joked with another friend that the pomp and aplomb with which one plies the Ife-Ibadan road, particularly around the Majeroku-Akiriboto perimeter, can only suggest that one was a kingly part of the kidnapping and extortionate ring on the route.

    Read Also: Shut Third Mainland Bridge worsens gridlock in Lagos

    The men of the underworld and under-bridge garrets duly materialized out of the shadows. Two completely crazed druggies wearing official overcoat of some state agencies. There was something intensely menacing and sinister even about their deferential manners.

      One quizzed them whether they were government officials and they both shook their head in rebuttal.  So, if they are not government officials what were they doing in that place in the dead of the night wearing government labels? They came to repair a vehicle, they both chorused. Meanwhile, there was no vehicle in the distance.

      In a jiffy, the more purposeful of them had crawled under the vehicle after collecting the tool kit from the driver while his companion began controlling traffic by raising his overcoat. On the massive steel bulwark where one perched the waves swept pass underneath making some frightening noise like a monster owl. One had imagined being plucked by an unseen talon into the watery catacombs below. The real drama was just about to begin.

       “Baba e se owo wa ni fifty. (Make our money fifty thousand) ,“ the first one drawled after crawling out. Yours sincerely exploded in a make or mar psychological duel.

       “Are you both mad? Do you know that if I get into my vehicle without paying you a kobo, there is nothing either of you can do?” yours sincerely shouted as he made to enter the vehicle.

      “Ha, alaiye baba, we are your children ooo!!!” they chanted.

        “Then behave yourself!” one growled as one pushed ten thousand naira on them and ordered the driver to speed off. It has been a near occurrence on the Third Mainland Bridge.  

  • Shut Third Mainland Bridge worsens gridlock in Lagos

    Shut Third Mainland Bridge worsens gridlock in Lagos

    The Lagos State government has began an eight-week traffic diversion on the Third Mainland Bridge.

    Diversion on the Iyana-Oworonshoki inwards Adeniji Adele section of the popular bridge yesterday paralysed traffic flow across Lagos.

    Speaking at the diversion point, Transportation Commissioner Oluwaseun Osiyemi said 250 traffic management personnel had been deployed in the axis to minimise inconvenience and ensure hitch-free movement for motorists.

    Read Also: FG partially shuts Third Mainland Bridge for 8 weeks repair

    Osiyemi said the Federal Ministry of Works, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) were working with the state government to ensure safety, security and sanity during the period of the repairs.

    The commissioner urged motorists to adhere to the state’s traffic management plan, saying the road repairs were meant to ensure the convenience of motoring Lagosians.

    The Federal Controller of Works, Mrs. Olukorede Keisha, announced that the Adeniji-bound lane would be open to traffic from midnight to noon.

    She said it would then be closed to vehicular movement, while motorists inbound Lagos Island would be diverted to Eko Bridge via Ikorodu Road.

    Others present at the diversion point were Lagos State Police Commissioner Fayoade Adegoke; FRSC Lagos Sector Commander Babatunde Farinloye; the General Manager of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Bakare Oki-Olalekan; state officials and law enforcement agencies.

  • FG partially shuts Third Mainland Bridge for 8 weeks repair

    FG partially shuts Third Mainland Bridge for 8 weeks repair

     The Federal Government on Tuesday partially shut the Iyana Oworonshoki-Adeniji Adele section of the Third Mainland Bridge, to begin  comprehensive rehabilitation works on the bridge.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, supervised the closure to mark the beginning of the rehabilitation.

    The closure was done at the intersection where motorists coming from Ojota link the Third Mainland Bridge on the Island-bound carriageway.

    Kesha was accompanied by the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr Kayode Farinloye; the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi; Commissioner of Police, Fayoade Adekoya, and other top officials.

    She said the closure of the bridge would be done in two phases daily and traffic diverted to different carriageways at different times.

    This, she said, was to give motorists opportunity to use the bridge while the rehabilitation works continued.

    She explained that the Mainland in-bound Lagos Island lane would be open from 12.00 a.m. to noon, while those who intend to come from the Island to the Mainland will use Eko Bridge.

    She added that from 12.00 p.m. to midnight, motorists would be able to access the bridge from the Island to the Mainland, while motorists from the Mainland heading towards the Island would have to use Eko or Carter Bridge.

    Kesha said the rehabilitation works, which will include replacement of some expansion joints and total replacement of asphalt, would last between six to eight weeks.

    She said the closure was part of the ongoing work that started in November, 2023, focusing on fixing the ramps, and some repairs on the remaining parts of the bridge, including the underdeck and lagoon sections.

    “Motorists from Iyana Oworo, Toll Gate, Ogudu or Ibadan can no longer use this axis (Island Bound carriageway) so they will have to go through Gbagada, Anthony-Ikorodu-Road-Western-Avenue, Funsho Williams to Carter Bridge or Eko Bridge going forward but this is going to be a daily thing.

    “So, in the morning, they have the access from 12 midnight to 12 noon the next day while in the afternoon, the Adeniji to Iyana Oworo bound have the free access from 1.00 p.m. thereabout till 12 midnight,” she said.

    The controller said measures were in place, including radio jingles, to ensure motorists understand diversion points, to ensure seamless movement.

    She said adequate road signs would be added around detour points at Ojota and Oworonshoki in addition to traffic managers’ deployment to reduce challenges of road users.

    Keisha said that the scope of work would include complete removal and replacement of the asphalt of the deck to the standard two inches to make motoring smoother and safer on the bridge.

    She said carefully chosen competent contractors on the project were going to work round the clock for speedy completion of the top deck work on the bridge.

    “There will be 24 hours construction here, that is why it is fast-tracked to eight weeks,” the controller said.

    She said that the Minister for Works, Mr David Umahi, was going to flag off rehabilitation works under the bridge at the weekend, so that simultaneously work would take place both on lagoon sections and the top deck.

    Read Also: Third Mainland Bridge: Lagos issues travel advisory ahead of closure

    Keisha expressed confidence that there would be seamless traffic flow and management because of the collaboration with the traffic and law enforcement heads who would be physically present.

    She appealed to motorists to obey traffic rules and use alternative routes to prevent hardship as comprehensive repairs continued on the highway.

    Osiyemi, on his part, expressed satisfaction with the collaboration between the state and federal government.

    He said that 250 Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) personnel would be deployed to work with road safety officials on the project.

    Also, the state Commissioner of Police promised top notch security for the project, while his FRSC counterpart promised to ensure all exits and links to the bridge were properly manned.

    Some motorists who were the first set of people to be affected by the closure commended the government, but called for measures against hardship on the road.

    (NAN)

  • Third Mainland Bridge: Lagos issues travel advisory ahead of closure

    Third Mainland Bridge: Lagos issues travel advisory ahead of closure

    The Lagos government has issued a travel advisory on how road users can navigate their way between the Mainland and Island parts of the state ahead of the January 9, 2024 closure of the Third Mainland Bridge for repairs.

    In a statement on Thursday, January 4, the state Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the repairs of the Third Mainland Bridge by the Federal Ministry of Works will continue with the closure of Iyana Oworonshoki-Adeniji Adele bound for the effective repairs of the entire section of the bridge.

    Read Also: Repairs: FG to shut section of Third Mainland Bridge Jan. 9

    He also said the timings were selected to match the peak period flow of traffic and reduce travel stress.

    The statement read: “The closure is part of the ongoing work that started in November 2023 focusing on fixing the ramps, and now, the remaining parts of the bridge will also be repaired. 

    “However, to ease the burden of commuting, the following arrangements have been made. 

    “1. From 12am to 12 noon, the bridge is open for Mainland Inbound Island travels while those who intend to come from the Island to the Mainland are advised to use Eko Bridge.

    “2. Conversely, from 12noon to 12am, Motorists will be able to access the bridge from the Island to the Mainland while motorists from the Mainland heading towards the Island will have to use Eko Bridge.”

  • Repairs: FG to shut section of Third Mainland Bridge Jan. 9

    Repairs: FG to shut section of Third Mainland Bridge Jan. 9

    The Federal Government has announced a planned closure of the Iyana Oworonshoki-Adeniji Adele section of the Third Mainland Bridge from 11.00 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024.

    The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, made the announcement on Thursday in a statement.

    Kesha said the closure would be done on the Lagos Island-bound carriageway of the bridge.

    She appealed to motorists to obey traffic rules and use alternative routes to prevent hardship as comprehensive repairs continue on the highway.

    “The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Works wish to inform the motoring public that the emergency repairs of Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos will continue with the closure of Iyana Oworonshoki-Adeniji Adele bound for the effective repairs of the entire section of the bridge.

    “Consequent upon the above, motorists are hereby advised to use alternative routes,” she said.

    Kesha listed the alternative routes and links to include: Ojota-Ikorodu Road-Funsho Williams Avenue-Eko Bridge-Apogbon-CMS and Ojota-Ikorodu Road-Jibowu-Yaba-Oyingbo-Iddo-Carter Bridge-CMS.

    Also listed was Gbagada-Anthony-Ikorodu Road-Funsho Williams-Eko Bridge-Apogbon-CMS.

    Read Also: Lagos reopens Third Mainland Bridge

    “Motorists are further advised to cooperate with the traffic management officials deployed to manage traffic and ensure hitch- free movements in order to minimise the discomfort during this repair period.

    “While thanking the general public for their past cooperation and understanding, more is expected this time around,” she said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 11.8kms Third Mainland Bridge undergoing comprehensive rehabilitation is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Mainland.

    The bridge starts from Oworonshoki, linked to the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island.

    It was constructed in 1990 and adjudged as the longest Bridge in Africa until 1996 when the Oct. 6 Bridge in Cairo, Egypt was completed.

    (NAN)

  • FG reopens Third Mainland Bridge

    FG reopens Third Mainland Bridge

    The federal government has officially reinstated the Third Mainland Bridge, one month after it was closed for maintenance.

    This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi on Thursday, December 21.

    He said: “We are pleased to announce that parts of the Third Mainland Bridge which were closed last month will reopen today 21st December, 2023 by 6 pm.

    “Following essential maintenance, the entire bridge is now fully accessible to the public, ensuring smoother connectivity and safe commuting.”

    He said that the government recognized the hardship the closure may have caused and thanked Nigerians for their “patience during the temporary closure.”

    According to Osiyemi, the government’s dedication to maintaining public safety and infrastructure is reaffirmed by the reopening.

    Read Also: Umahi explains N21b vote for Third Mainland Bridge repairs

    The federal government, acting through the Ministry of Works, had notified that it would be closing two ramps on the Third Mainland Bridge in order to make repairs.

    The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Engr. (Mrs.) O. I. Kesha declared on November 1 that ramp repairs linking Oworoshoki to Adekunle and Lagos- Island (Adeniji Adele) to Adekunle will start concurrently.

    Following the maintenance work, motorists were advised to cooperate with the traffic management officials by obeying and observing all diversions and also using alternative routes.

  • Govt to close part of Third Mainland Bridge for repairs

    Govt to close part of Third Mainland Bridge for repairs

    • By Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie and Lydia Raji

    The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, has said the Adeniji/Adekunle parts of the Third Mainland Bridge will be closed for motorists as from today for comprehensive repairs.

    She advised motorists to use alternative routes to avoid causing gridlocks on the popular bridge.

    Kesha said this while addressing reporters yesterday on the need to close the 11.8-kilometre bridge for rehabilitation for some weeks.

    The controller said the Adekunle exit ramp of the bridge would be closed to traffic from 9 a.m daily after which work would move to other areas.

    She said the Adekunle section of the bridge has four ramps with a convergence point, adding that the repairs on all the ramps would be completed within five weeks.

    Kesha said the sensitisation became necessary so that motorists would know the routes to take while the repairs were being carried out.

    The controller assured Lagosians that the Third Mainland Bridge was open and free for use except for those that would connect Adekunle from the bridge.

    Read Also: Third Mainland Bridge: Comprehensive rehabilitation begins November 1

    “We are here to sensitise Lagosians on the forthcoming closure of Third Mainland Bridge on November 6. By 9 a.m, the two access ramps to Adekunle will be closed to traffic.

    “What that means is that if you are coming from Iyana-Oworo, you can go straight. And if you are heading to Lagos Island, the road is still free for you. That bridge is still free for you.

    “You can use it straight to the Island. But peradventure you are going to Adekunle, you will not be able to do that, if you are coming from Iyana-Oworo,” she said.

    The controller explained that motorists from Lagos-Ibadan Expressway/Toll Gate/Ogudu axis inward Lagos Island would not be able to access Adekunle/Ebute Meta from the Third Mainland Bridge.

    Kesha urged the motorists to use alternative routes, like Carter Bridge, Gbagada, Ikorodu Road, Ojota, and Funsho Williams Avenue, to avoid congestion on the Third Mainland Bridge.