Third Mainland Bridge Re-opens

 

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of Works, Mr Mike Onolememen said he was delighted that the project was delivered 10 days ahead of schedule.

He said that the contract ``was also completed at the awarded contract sum, devoid of variation``.

Reports say that the contract sum was N1.05 billion and awarded to Messrs Borini Prono Company Nig. Ltd.

Onolememen thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for his support and sustained funding of the work, as well as the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola.

The minister thanked the contractors as well as agencies concerned for providing security and effectively managing traffic during the period.

``To the glory of God, I now have the honour and privilege to declare the repair works on the Third Mainland Bridge completed.

``In the same vein, I wish to proclaim that the bridge is hereby fully re-opened to normal traffic,`` he said.

Fielding questions from journalists, the minister said that the ministry had consistently monitored the project to ensure its successful completion.

He urged members of the public to disregard rumours on the integrity of the bridge, saying that the ministry used under-water divers to assess the bridge and had certified it fit.

He said that ``the structural elements are intact''.

While inspecting an expansion joint on the bridge, the minister said that there was a need for the laid pipes to be strengthened so that the street lights could work.

``We would take a step further and rehabilitate the street lights,`` he said.

Onolememen said that the ministry would now move to the Marine Bridge in Lagos, Murtala Mohammed Bridge in Lokoja, and other bridges requiring attention across the country before the end of the year, to make travelling easy.

Also, reports say that motorists heaved a sigh of relief and commended the Federal Government for the effort.

A motorist, Mr Joshua Imokhare, said that he was pleasantly surprised when he heard that the bridge had been opened.

``Such a thing is rare to come by in Nigeria because there have been many projects that never met the schedule,'' Imokhare said.

``I was surprised when I learnt that the bridge was opened and I was among the first motorists to ply it,’’ another motorist, Mrs Abiodun Anjorin said.

``The reopening of the bridge today will ease the traffic gridlock experienced since the repair work began; such affected our operations, especially with this lingering fuel scarcity,” Musiliu Ajibade, a commercial bus driver, said.