Lagos Third Mainland Bridge, the 11.8 km long bridge connecting Lagos Island to the mainland is in danger and will portend a major national disaster if allowed to collapse, according to David Mark, Senate president.
Mark said “the bridge is an important edifice and its collapse will be a major catastrophe, as many lives may be lost.”
This is coming as the upper legislative house will today debate a motion on the imminent collapse of the bridge.
At the plenary session yesterday, Senator Gbenga Ashafa from Lagos East raised a point of order to bring to the attention of the Senate the state of the bridge, adding that he would want an urgent remedial measures to be taken.
He said the consultant who carried out the post-assessment of the repair works of the bridge discovered that the repair work on its foundation was not properly done.
Ashafa said the consultant discovered that the bridge “could collapse today, tomorrow, next year, five or 10 years and, therefore, there is the urgent need to discuss the imminent collapse.”
The repair of the Third Mainland Bridge before it was re-opened last year reportedly gulped N1.5 billion, including repairs at eight expansion joints of both sides of the bridge.
The Third Mainland Bridge, measured 11.8 km and connected the Mainland to Lagos Island, was commissioned by former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, in 1990.
The bridge is the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island and starts from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi express way and Lagos-Ibadan express way, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island.
By 2006, many commuters had reported that the Third Mainland Bridge was vibrating noticeably, indicating that it needed urgent attention.
As a result, remedial work was commenced on the portions of the bridge at different times, leading to partial closure of the bridge at different times.