by Stanley Azuakola

In five days, repair work will begin on the Third Mainland Bridge, and the repairs are scheduled last from July 1 to November 6, 2012. Many are already anticipating the massive traffic on the alternative routes. The Lagos State government is however assuring motorists that the situation will not be as bad as they fear.

The governor of the state, Babatunde Fashola, who spoke to state house correspondents on Monday, assured residents that the 11.8km bridge would not be entirely closed to traffic as was first reported by the media. He said, “Contrary to what has been reported, it is not a complete closure but a partial closure. While the work is on, diversion will take place, depending on the section of the road that will be worked upon by the contractor.”

The governor said that the repair work will concentrate on the metal joints that connect the each slab of road to the next on the bridge. He advised motorists to consider alternative routes through the waterways or use public transport while leaving their cars at home during the period when Africa’s longest bridge will be undergoing repairs.

On the issue of who would handle traffic management during the partial closure, Gov. Fashola expressed displeasure with the Federal government’s position that it will be in charge. He said: “It is unfortunate that the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) had gone to make the announcement on traffic control. If you look into the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, in the exclusive legislative list, the only jurisdiction for managing traffic is what the Federal Government has on federal trunk road and not on roads within municipality of states. We cannot continue this desperate encroachment of territories. The constitution clearly sets out roles for different tiers of government responsibility.

“Therefore, the responsibility for managing and maintaining the Third Mainland Bridge is for the Federal Government, but maintaining a bridge and managing traffic on it, are two different responsibilities. The traffic management on it belongs to the state. The bridge that crosses the lagoon within the territory of a city lies within the state control for traffic.”

Hopefully the squabble between the state and federal government will be resolved in order to minimise the impact of the project on Lagosians.