Lagos to shut Eko Bridge

The rehabilitation will be done in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Works.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, and the Acting Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr. Godwin Eke, said this on Tuesday at a joint media briefing in Lagos on the planned commencement of rehabilitation.

According to Opeifa, the exercise will start from 9pm on Friday and will be reopened for traffic by 5 am Monday, December 8, 2008.

Specifically, Opeifa explained that the rehabilitation would allow for replacement of some expansion joints, which is about seven metres long, located along the Costain-Alaka end of the bridge.

He said, “For the three days the work is expected to last, no in-bound vehicle to Lagos Island will be allowed on the section of the bridge to be repaired. However, out-bound vehicles from Apongbon will be expected to divert through Costain round-about to connect the mainland. Traffic personnel will be fully deployed to ensure smooth operations.”

On traffic management during the period, Opeifa noted there might not be any need for traffic diversion. He, however, advised out-bound motorists from Apongbon to divert through Costain roundabout- Iponri- Alaka to connect the mainland.

In the alternative, there would be a diversion through National Theatre at Iganmu, he said, adding, “What motorists should do as they are coming from Apongbon is that they should take the exit at Costain roundabout and leave the service lane to the direction they are going.

He said, “From Wednesday contractors will start mounting detour signs at strategic points, we urge motorists to reduce their speed, go through Costain to Iponri, get to Alaka and back to Funsho Williams Avenue, from where they can find their way.”

“I want to assure Lagosians that there will be no delay in traffic as all arrangements have been concluded to ensure free flow of traffic.”

Opeifa also said that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, the Police as well as other security agencies have been detailed to provide maximum security and management of the situation during the exercise.

While commending the media for giving full support to the state government in previous exercises, Opeifa warned motorists to heed instructions to avoid any unnecessary traffic jam during the exercise.

The acting Controller of the Federal Ministry of Works, who put the contract sum at N6m, said the repair had become necessary to forestall a major damage and inflated cost of fixing it.

Eke said, “If this was to be handled by companies such as Julius Berger or Borini Prono, it will cost not less than N100m.

“What we are going to do starting from this Friday night is a mere replacement of an expansion joint on Eko Bridge-mainland bound section. It is a mere rehabilitation of single joints its not as complex as that of Third Mainland Bridge joints. This will take about three days to fix, by Monday morning the road would be open for traffic.

“We have capable men for the job. The length of the joints is about seven metres spanning the width of the bridge. We are using a special material that would quicken the hardness of aggregates,” he added