Motorists Groan As Contractors Abandon Third Mainland Bridge

The Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, has come under heavy criticism from Lagos residents  over the abandonment of the repair works in the Third Mainland Bridge and other adjoining roads.

The agency, last month had begun repairs on both carriage ways of the Bridge, scrapping the asphalt on some section of the bridge, but had vacated site for over two weeks, leaving motorists to contend with the current bad state of the road.

Motorists had attributed several accidents on the Bridge in recent times to the uncoordinated method through which FERMA was carrying out the repair works.

But investigations, however, showed that though the sum of N10 billion was voted for FERMA in the 2016 Budget of the Federal Ministry of Works, the contractor engaged for the job was yet to be mobilised.

With the March 31, 2017 date for the end of the implementation of the 2016 budget fast approaching, FERMA had hurriedly moved the contractor to site, however its failure to mobilize them led to the repair works being stalled.

Motorists in the state are however calling on the Minister of Works, Housing and Power, Mr. Babatunde Fashola to rise to the challenge and ensure that the agency completes the repair works so as to save motorists the nightmare and the incessant accidents caused by the state of the Bridge.

Final works on Lagos – Ibadan Expressway Long Bridge starts

Meantime, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the contractor handling Section One of the reconstruction of the Lagos/Ibadan expressway project, has commenced the installation of expansion joints on the popular ‘Long Bridge,’ on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

A trip on section one of the ongoing reconstruction of the expressway project yesterday, showed that construction works were ongoing on the Lagos bound carriageway of the Long Bridge.

Section one of the project spans from Ojota in Lagos to the Sagamu Interchange and it is being handled by Julius Berger.

Section two, which spans from the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan, is being handled by the Reynolds Construction Company, RCC.

Workmen were seen welding and using various construction materials on the Long Bridge, with other construction works going on simultaneously on different portions of the highway.