FG assures motorists of Third Mainland Bridge’s safety

The Federal Government has said that the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos is safe for use contrary to a Facebook video clip spreading fears about the bridge.A statement by Special Adviser on Communications to the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Hakeem Bello, on behalf of the ministry under the supervision of Mr. Babatunde Fashola, said the expansion joint being speculated to be dangerous was among those slated for repairs.He said the bridge is very safe for the motorists to ply pending the commencement of the repair works.

“The public is hereby informed that the expansion joint shown in a Facebook video clip is one of those slated for change during repairs on the Third Mainland Bridge, which will commence soon. It is still functioning and our engineers and consultants have advised that it does not pose any structural danger to the bridge and it is safe to use.

“Tests done on the expansion joints then, called ‘static and dynamic load tests,’ were to check the functionality of the joints and a number of expansion joints were identified for replacement.“More recently, in March this year, underwater confirmatory tests preceding the repair works to be done on the bridge were also carried out on the piles to determine any further deterioration on the piles from that done in 2018.

However, all the tests done preparatory to closure of the bridge to commencement of comprehensive maintenance works indicate that the integrity of the bridge is intact.
“Therefore, the Third Mainland Bridge is safe for use, and people should desist from spreading or sharing false information about the bridge on social media platforms,” the statement said.

The ministry also emphasised that the expansion joints to be replaced are part of a regular bridge maintenance programme that had been neglected for decades, but now being done by the present administration.“Such maintenance works include resurfacing of the bridge, along with several others, which this administration is also undertaking as the bridge users will attest to a better driving surface,” it said.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr. Adedamola Kuti, who spoke on the issue in a telephone chat with The Guardian, said the joints were identified during the last check, hence the need for further repair works.He stressed that the ministry was not debunking the Facebook video clip but assuring motorists of the safety of the bridge and that the joints had been captured during the last inspection awaiting the next round of repairs.