by Hauwa Gambo

The Federal Government will re-open the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, one week ahead of the scheduled delivery date of November 6, 2012.

This was confirmed by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Works on Media, Tony Ikpasaja, yesterday.

According to him, the Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, will “open the rehabilitated bridge to motorists at a ceremony that will also have in attendance federal and Lagos State government officials and other stakeholders”, Punch reports.

It will be recalled that the minister had indicated this on ano inspection of the bridge on August 10. “The inspection visit is to track the progress that the contractor has made; whether actual progress is in line with our planned programme,” he said. “I am happy to announce that the physical progress in not only in line with our programme, but there has been a gain of approximately one week, which is very commendable.

“It means that if we sustain the momentum, we will be able to deliver the project ahead of the scheduled delivery date of November 6, 2012.”

He had explained that government rehabilitated the country’s longest bridge “because of its commitment to giving due attention to infrastructure in Lagos State, which he said was attracting about 53 per cent of commercial activities in the country”.

It has been closed partially on July 7 so the contractor Messrs Boroni Prono and Company Limited – on a budget of N1billion – could replace eight expansion joints on the bridge.

Ensuring enforcement of the lockdown were men of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority as well as the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army, Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.