Mainland Bridge excites Lagosians
WITH a population of about 25 million, an economy reputed to be
Africa’s fifth largest and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP), averaging
$133 billion (about N27 trillion), Lagos State can be called Africa’s
megacity.
But, unlike other megacities, Lagos cannot boast of modern
infrastructure. Rather, it parades old infrastructure that are
inadequate for its growing population.
One area where the inadequacy is most evident is in the
transportation sector, where traffic congestion has become the new
definition of modern Lagos.
This problem, according to experts, may get worse if the government
does not address the infrastructure deficit, by not only expanding the
old roads across the state, but also building new ones.
While successive administrations in the
last 16 years have addressed the first leg by expanding the capacity of
most high density roads and have been attempting to fix most of the
inner ones, the Akinwunmi Ambode administration last May took a bold
step by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a consortium of
firms and finance houses for delivering the Fourth Mainland Bridge, a
project which has almost become a mirage, having been in abeyance over
the last 14 years.
When the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration thought of the
fourth bridge, the needed indices were non-existent. With the state’s
population less than 10 million, and traffic recording low congestion
compared to its present state, many would have thought the dream was
another white elephant that would be dead on arrival.
With each passing year, however, the need for the bridge becomes more
urgent as the vehicle density in the state grows, forcing the Babatunde
Fashola government to attempt its hands on it.
Though the government stopped when faced with some structures (put at
3,000), that have abridged the bridge’s right of way since its
conception, it, however, ensured that the preliminary legwork for a new
engineering design for the bridge that would take a new alignment began.
With the early take-off of the project in the Ambode administration,
there is no doubt that the state is closer to achieving its dream. Not
only would the government deliver the project, it is almost certain that
it would come with less pain.
About 2,200 houses are saved in the new alignment design, meaning a
huge reduction not only in compensation, but also the cost of litigation
or orders that might emanate from courts by aggrieved litigants over
the laudable project.
Dream bridge
The architectural and engineering design of the ambitious
38-kilometre bridge is a wonder to behold.
Coming almost 50 years after
the state’s existence and 26 years after the delivery of the Third
Mainland Bridge by the ex-military President Ibrahim Babangida, the
Fourth Mainland Bridge is the most ambitious project to be embarked upon
by the state government under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
platform.
The project, which is the longest of all the bridges connecting Lagos
Island to the mainland, is without financial backing by the Federal
Government.
On completion, it would complement the Eko, Carter and Third Mainland
Bridges and serve to deflood traffic on the Eastern flanks of the
state, providing a backbone to the industrial development rapidly
shaping up in the Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe areas.
According to the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Ganiyu
Johnson, the bridge will pass through Lekki, Langbasa, and Baiyeku
towns, on the Lagoon estuaries to Itamaga, in Ikorodu. The bridge, which
would have a ring road would be made up of eight interchanges to
facilitate interconnectivity among parts of the state. A four lane dual
carriage way bridge, with each comprising three lanes with two metres
wide shoulder on each side, and a generous median on each side to
accommodate future expansion and light rail facility, the road would
link Itoikin road, connect Ikorodu-Sagamu road to Isawo inward
LagosIbadan Expressway and land at Ojodu Berger axis.
This uncommon bridge is also coming with very special feature, which
Johnson describes as “the heart.”
It will consist of a two level bridge
which would connect people in large number and improve their natural
flow through a reorganisation of vehicular, waterways and pedestrian
modes of transportation.
“This two level bridge will not only function as a means of
transportation on its upper level, but would also stimulate and
accommodate social, commercial and cultural interaction of pedestrians
never before experienced in these parts on such terrains on its lower
level to give a typical “Lagos Life” feel, with its tropical environment
and intimate street level exchanges,” Johnson said.
The Fourth Mainland Bridge with road networks, he further added,
would form a primary ring road round Lagos to provide alternative
traffic routes from Lekki to Ikorodu, Ikeja and Ajah, relieving the
Third Mainland bridge of its heavy traffic.
With the improved flow of people across Lagos, the city will be
relieved of congestion, maximise its opportunities and grow better,
Ambode had said.
When completed, the bridge will drastically reduce traffic congestion
on the Eko, Carter and Third Mainland Bridges and change the traffic
patterns drastically along the new route.
“The proposed bridge will traverse from Ajah in the Northwest to
Lagos Ibadan Expressway via Ikorodu in the Southwest, a 37.9-kilometre
long road that is designed with a speed limit of 140km/h.
It will decongest traffic gridlock within the Lekki corridor and
redistribute it towards mainland, improving travel experience and travel
time for motorists.
Nightmares gone
Former Commissioner for Housing Mr Bosun Jeje may have spoken the
minds of many motorists when he said the bridge would end the nightmare
of many.
Jeje, who hails from Lagos East Senatorial district, said many have
been looking forward to the bridge.
“We have been dreaming of this
bridge for a very long time.
Its coming at this time will not only
relieve our nightmare, but it will advance development around the entire
Lagos East Senatorial District,” he reportedly said.
A transportation expert Dr Tajudeen Bawa’ Allah described the project
as a gift by Governor Ambode to Epe and Ikorodu people, who have almost
lost the hope of the realisation of the bridge in their lifetime.
“For 14 years they have waited and Governor Ambode has assured us all
that they only need to wait three more years to see the bridge of their
dreams.
What is more, the bridge is uncommon, not only because it is
ground floor for commercial and other pedestrian purposes, but would
have a distribution routes that would link to Ojodu Berger on the
southern flanks of the state,” the erudite nonegerian scholar said.
The people of the area happy with the project. “We won’t mind, if our
homes are destroyed during the execution of the project,” the Baale of Baiyeku Chief Saheed Ajibode said.
Rather than protest the project that would see a large portion of his
settlement consumed by the construction, the chief said: “We know that
it is going to affect some houses, but we don’t mind.
We want it.
“We are very happy about the development because it will open up this
place, make us more enlightened and bring new life to Baiyeku. Rather
than pick up the government, we are appealing to the government to put
in more efforts in ensuring that the bridge is completed on time.”
Another resident, Pa Titus Nosiru, said: “We have been looking
forward to this development for a very long time and we are happy and we
are looking forward to when these people would come and begin work.”
A leader of the Egun community, who gave his name as Timothy, said
his people were happy because the fourth mainland bridge project has
been long overdue.
“We welcome the project whole heartedly. There is no where any
project of this nature is being undertaken that it won’t affect some
houses.
We have no doubt that the people affected would be compensated
and as you can see, there’s no mansion anywhere here,” another lad,
Stephen, said as he rows a boat ashore.
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