Roads & Construction
Checkout Exclusive Images From Third Mainland Joint Repairs (PHOTOS)
The third mainland bridge has been undergoing repairs by the Federal Ministry of Works alongside with the Lagos State Government. The bridge which was scheduled to last for months was partially shut in July with each side of the bridge opened for vehicular purposes.
Third Mainland Bridge is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, the other are the Eko and Carter bridges. It was the longest bridge in Africa until 1996 when the 6th October Bridge located in Cairo was completed. The bridge starts from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi expressway and Lagos-Ibadan expressway and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island.
There is also a link midway through the bridge that leads to Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. The bridge was built by Julius Berger Nigeria PLC. The phase one of the projects was commissioned by President Shehu Shagari in 1980 and completed by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990; it measures about 11.8 km in length.
On July 6 2020, it was announced that the bridge will be closed for six months due to repairs.
The Third Mainland Bridge has very high vehicular traffic on weekdays, as many residents commute to and from the Lagos Mainland to the Island which is the commercial hub of Lagos State. Residents in Ikeja, Agboyi-Ketu, Ikorodu, Isheri, Oworonshoki, Gbagada, Yaba, Maryland and Oshodi. The Third Mainland Bridge is an essential part of Lagos’ daily commuting, and as such requires to be constantly renovated. It has also come to be a major Lagos icon, offering different views of Lagos – the Lagos Lagoon, the University of Lagos Waterfront and Makoko, a shanty town built on the Lagos Lagoon.
According to a traffic report on Third Mainland Bridge in 2002, the number of vehicles in both directions recorded in 12 hours was 180,902 vehicles, which may have doubled or tripled after 16 years.
These are exclusive images from the repairs of the joint works on the bridge…
