Need For More Mainland Bridges

There was apprehension among motorists and commuters following announcements last week that the busy 3rd Mainland Bridge, the main artery linking the mainland to Lagos Island would be partially shut to enable engineers carry out repairs on the bridge. The repair to be carried out on eight joints of the bridge was expected to commence on Sunday, 1 July and end in November but has been postponed indefinitely.

The last time four joints in the bridge were repaired in 2008, motorists and commuters had a hectic time commuting between Lagos Island and the mainland. Although the Lagos State government had assured motorists and commuters that the partial closure will not result in traffic chaos whenever the inevitable repairs are to be carried out, the period the repair will last will no doubt be harrowing for the users of the bridge. Even when the bridge, commissioned in 1990, is not under repairs, the traffic gridlock experienced on it during rush hours in the morning and in the evening leaves motorists and commuters totally exasperated.

While motorists and commuters prepare for the worst, we call on the Federal Government to start thinking seriously about constructing two or more bridges parallel to the 3rd Mainland Bridge. The frequent repairs on the dual carriage way is a clear sign that the bridge is weighed down by a volume of traffic that is far beyond its capacity. What we are witnessing is that the life span of the bridge is being shortened by the heavy burden it  bears daily.

Since the bridge is suffering from diminishing capacity, it is only reasonable that new bridges are constructed along the same path to ease this huge burden.

In developed nations, bridges that play key role in a city’s economy, just as the 3rd Mainland Bridge does in Lagos, are usually replicated to ease traffic and extend the life span of existing ones.

We are not opposed to routine maintenance of the bridge. We believe it is about time more of such bridges were constructed in the mega city to ease traffic.

If the Lagos State government is making plans to construct the 4th Mainland Bridge, nothing stops the Federal Government from constructing the 5th Mainland bridge. The Federal Government derives a huge chunk of VAT from Lagos, a city where the largest seaport is located, yet it gives back so little to Lagos, including maintaining its roads that lead to the seaport in Apapa and the international airport.