UPDATE: Third mainland bridge partial closure to take two phases, says FG

The Federal Government (FG) on Tuesday, explained that the partial closure of the third mainland bridge will be in two phases.

It said the first phase will begin Friday 24th, July 2020 at midnight and last till 23rd October, while the second phase will start from 24th October till 23rd January 2021.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, made the disclosure at a briefing on the closure of the Third mainland bridge in Abuja.

According to him, this is to allow contractors to carry out operational efficiency even as he noted that both phases are subdivided into Morning and afternoon sessions, to allow for ease of traffic.

He explained that the maintenance became imperative as the bridge is the busiest with about 132,702 light and heavy vehicles using it on a daily basis.

The Minister disclosed that between 2015 and 2019, the government undertook a survey of all the bridges in Nigeria to determine their conditions and the urgency of repairs to be carried out on them.

He said a total of 37 bridges were identified across the country, adding that the third mainland bridge was one of the critical ones that needed urgent maintenance.

“Between 2015 and 2019, we undertook a survey of all the bridges in Nigeria and we did an assessment to determine their position, the urgency of the need to repair them. Some were critical, some were less and the third mainland bridge was one of those bridges.

“At the time, we designated that we would need about N227billion to do all the planning work over a period of four years as you all know, we did not get the budget that we expected but we got something and we need to have started work over the last two year.

“Currently, we are to intervene on 37 bridges across Nigeria.”

Fashola said the third mainland was also by far the largest of all the bridges identified.

However, he assured that the FG would ensure that the maintenance work is completed within the 6 months period as planned.

Earlier, Engr. Emmanuel Adeoye, Director Highways, Bridges and Design while giving a brief of phase 1 of the project, said it is imperative to periodically carry out maintenance on Bridges in line with global practices.

He said the periodic maintenance was carried out on the Third Mainland Bridge in 2008 with the replacement of 4 No. critically affected expansion joints.

“Subsequently in 2012, an additional 8 No. joints were replaced. In 2018 another round of maintenance process commenced with the execution of static and dynamic tests on the expansion joints,” he added.

He stressed that the current maintenance is a continuation of the process and will cover monitoring and repairs of the Bridge Joints which involves the removal and replacement of steel expansion joints.

These according to him, are;” 6 No. on Lagos outbound + 1No. (neoprene expansion joint) on Lagos Ring Road Abutment;

“6 No. on Lagos inbound + 1No. (neoprene expansion joint) on Lagos Ring Road Abutment; That means 14 No. Expansion joints will be replaced.”

Also, he said repair Works will be carried out on Pile caps and Piers, which involves clearing, cleaning and repair of damaged concrete surface and steel bars on the pile caps (643.5m2) and replacement of concrete cover.

This he said include: “Clearing, demolition (with mechanical tools) of the lateral surface of the pile caps and provision of anti-rust treatment on exposed reinforcement bars (514.8m2);

“Smooth plaster with anti-shrinkage fibre reinforced cement mortar (514.8m2); Drilling of 5cm holes in plants to be reinforced, fixing longitudinal threaded bars with plates and nuts, tightening, grouting with a special mortar and stressing the threaded bars to reinforce the pile caps (6,633.80kg of steel bars).”

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