by Isi Esene

The time you spend shuttling between Lagos Mainland and the Island might soon get a little much longer and tedious with news that the Minister of State for Works, Bashir Yugudu, is set to kick off the repairs of the Third Mainland Bridge today. This bridge repairs is expected to cost the FG about N1billion.

The bridge repairs, scheduled to start on July 1 and re-open in November, was, however, abruptly postponed purportedly due to a disagreement between agencies of the FG and that of the Lagos State Government on the modalities guarding its closure.

The Lagos Sector Commander of Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Charles Akpabio, said the postponement of the repairs is intended to put more measures in place to ease possible traffic congestion which the bridge closure is expected to create.

This excuse, however, did not go down well with the Lagos House of Assembly members who moved a motion to invite the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, and the management of Julius Berger to explain the reason for the suspension.

Rotimi Olowo, a LSHA member, remarked that the expansion joints and barriers of the bridge are bad, stressing that the ministries in Lagos have provided alternative routes for motorists.

Olowo said a six months inconvenience to make the bridge better is better than suspension of repair.