Fourth Mainland Bridge: Lagos may sign MOU with consultants this month

By Solomon Okpere MEMORANDUM of Understanding (MOU) for the take off of the construction of the 4th Mainland Bridge, Lagos may be signed this month, according to Lagos state commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Ganiyu Johnson, an engineer. Johnson who made the disclosure while rendering the account of his ministry’s stewardship in the last one year to mark the first anniversary of governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration in the state, said the state had already held discussions with a consortium of consultants in furtherance of the project, pointing out that an MOU for the take off of the project is expected to be signed before the end of May 2016. He did not disclose the names of the consultants however. The commissioner who said that various alignments had been proposed by the consultants for consideration, added that a preferred alignment has also been proposed as most ideal, as less compensations would be paid by the government compared to the first proposed alignment under Fashola administration. Justifying the need for the project, he stated that proposals for the construction of the bridge were hinged on the need to solve the perennial traffic gridlock observed on a daily basis by commuters on the 3rd Mainland Bridge, pointing out that the new bridge would serve as an alternative route to solve the incessant traffic congestions within Victoria Island and Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe corridor as well as help redistribute traffic efficiently. According to him, when the bridge is constructed, it would drastically reduce traffic volume on Eko, Cater and Third Mainland Bridges. “Besides, it would act as outer ring road for conveying of goods from the Free Trade Zone, Fertilizer plant, Deep seaport, Dangote oil refinery and the proposed airport. “The proposed 4th Mainland Bridge traverses from Ajah to North West direction towards the Lagoon shoreline to Lagos-Ibadan Expressway through Ikorodu. The approximate length of the bridge is 37.9 kilometres (km) with a design speed of 140km per hour. With the new alignment designed for the construction of the bridge, 2,200 houses would be saved from demolition. “The old alignment for the bridge was to claim over 3,000 houses which would mean huge economic losses to the government. With the new design, about 800 houses will now be affected and affected owners will be compensated by the government”, he said. The commissioner while commenting on Lagos/ Badagry Expressway project, attributed the delay on the ongoing work on the expressway to paucity of funds, adding that Julius Berger, which is handling the Lot I between Eric Moore to Mile 2, would finish the median lanes and hand over the facility by August this year while CCECC to which the Lot II has been awarded will continue construction in phases towards Agbara. He also disclosed that the state government has initiated a study to upgrade the network of roads in Ikeja to improve and boost the economic standing of the city to word-class standard commensurate with other capital cities. The upgrade, he said would include the expansion of Awolowo Way with an elevated highway from the Airport Hotel to Alausa to decongest the traffic gridlock along Allen Roundabout, Kudirat Abiola Roundabout and Agidingbi Roundabout. “There will also be an expansion of the Allen/Opebi Road to Odo Iya-Alaro via a link bridge at Ogudu to the 3rd Mainland Bridge. These networks of roads when upgraded will boost the economic activities in Ikeja being the seat of government”, Johnson noted.