• Rules out tolling

The Federal Government, through the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has commissioned the third mainland bridge Close Circuit Television (CCTV) monitoring centre, saying it isa key safety and infrastructure upgrade on the bridge, as part of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to rehabilitate and secure critical federal bridges across the country.

The facility features high-definition CCTV cameras that cover the bridge deck and underwater sections, a dedicated surveillance boat, and two operational Hilux vehicles to support monitoring and rapid deployment.

Umahi stated that upon assuming office in 2023, the administration found the Third Mainland Bridge, Carter Bridge, and Iddo Bridge in a very poor state, with severe defects on pavement surfaces, expansion joints, and structural elements both above and below water.

According to the minister, the introduction of CCTV-based monitoring is to control speeding, prevent traffic obstructions, curb vehicle fires and deter suicide attempts on the bridge, stressing that the system will allow real-time monitoring, with designated lay-bys on the bridge enabling enforcement without disrupting traffic flow.

Under the arrangement, the Nigeria Police will set and enforce speed limits, supported by surveillance infrastructure, patrol vehicles and boats officially handed over for the operation.

At the commissioning, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olufemi Dare, stated that the project introduced advanced technology for real-time monitoring of both the bridge structure and its underwater components, significantly enhancing safety, security, and rapid emergency response.

According to Dare, the newly deployed system is designed to enable rescue and response operations within two to three minutes of any incident, adding that the contract sum for the project stands at N43,118,028,778, out of which N36,295,37,137 has so far been paid to the contractor.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said it has no plan to toll the rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.

Umahi also stated this yesterday after inaugurating the N40 billion Closed Circuit Television Camera Centre on the Third Mainland Bridge.

He said: “We will not engage in construction on this bridge because it will entail static load on the bridge.

“It is also within the town, so it will introduce many bottlenecks; that is why we are not tolling this bridge,” he said.

He said security would be handled by the police, noting that the 11-kilometre bridge would have a five-minute response time.