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By Emmanuel Adeleke
The Federal Government has approved the sum of N6.28 billion for the surface maintenance of the third mainland bridge in Lagos State.
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), who briefed State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, said the 24-month repair will cover 11 kilometers including interchanges, ramps and critical links.
He explained that the move aligns with Executive Order 11 signed by the President Muhammadu Buhari in April 2022, which gave legal backing to the country’s national maintenance policy.
The announcement came barely two weeks after the Lagos State Government said it would undertake rehabilitation works on the 32-year-old bridge by fixing failed and peeled asphaltic sections and substructure.
Fashola, however, clarified that there will be no duplication of efforts.
He said the state’s Public Works Corporation will focus on the functional structure of the bridge such as the underwater piles, while Federal Government will undertake surface maintenance to treat potholes and restore missing guard rails.
“Council approved a fresh contract for the maintenance of the pavement of the third mainland bridge and this was approved in the sum of N6.28 billion for a period of 24 months.
“I have been asked about the works that have been done on the bridge before. The works are concentrating largely on the substructure of the bridge; the underwater piles, the pile caps and also the replacement of the expansion joints and the bearings.
“These are maintenance works that are critical to the structural integrity of the bridge. What we’re dealing with now is different. It is the driving surface and also the aesthetics. Some of the rails have been stolen. Some of the pleats are misaligned at the routes that lead you on and off the bridge,” he said.
The minister added that there are no anticipated prolonged closures during the repair works.
Meanwhile, the council also approved N17.5 billion variation for the contract for the construction of the old Enugu-Onitsha road, making the current sum to stand at N48.99 billion.