THE Federal Government has approved N6.28 billion for surface maintenance of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State.
The Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday, April 12.
Fashola said the maintenance will be for 24-months and will cover 11 kilometers including interchanges, ramps, and critical links.
According to him, the decision is in line with the Executive Order 11 signed by the President, Muhammadu Buhari, in April 2022, which reinforced the national public building maintenance policy which was approved in 2019.
The ICIR gathered that the approval came barely two weeks after the Lagos State Government said it would repair failed and peeled asphaltic sections and substructure on the bridge.
However, Fashola, who is the former governor of the state, assured that there will be no duplication of efforts.
According to him, the state’s Public Works Corporation will focus on the functional structure of the bridge such as the underwater piles, while the FG will undertake surface maintenance to treat potholes and restore missing guard rails.
He said “Council approved a fresh contract for the maintenance of the pavement of the third mainland bridge and this was approved in the sum of N6.28bn 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.”
Fashola added that there are no anticipated prolonged closures during the works.
The ICIR had on March 30, reported that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved N95.8 billion for dualization of the Akure/Ita Ogbolu-Iju/Ado Ekiti road, linking Ekiti and Ondo states.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M