The closure is set to commence on Sunday due to the urgent need for rehabilitation of some bridge components that have been damaged.

The decision to close the lane was made in collaboration with the Lagos State Government to prevent any compromise to the bridge’s integrity and structural stability, which could pose risks to users.

Mrs. Kesha emphasized the importance of prompt repairs and replacements to ensure the safety of the entire bridge.

During the opening of the Apongbon section of the bridge, Mrs. Kesha and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had already announced that intermittent closures would be necessary as maintenance work progressed.

The closure will allow the contractor, Messrs Buildwell Plants and Equipment Industries Ltd., to carry out essential repairs and restore the bridge’s integrity within the designated timeframe.

While the service lane leading to Iponri will remain open, alternative routes have been provided for motorists traveling from Western Avenue and its surroundings.

Motorists are advised to cooperate with the Traffic-Management Team deployed on the highway to ensure smooth traffic management during the closure.

Mrs. Kesha expressed her gratitude to the public for their understanding and cooperation during this vital repair process.

The Governor stated this while maintaining that the project would be delivered in the first quarter of next year (2023).

Sanwo-Olu disclosed this on Sunday while addressing newsmen at the Marina Train Station after inspection of works on the Blue Line rail project and stations at the National Theatre Iganmu, Orile, Suru Alaba, Mile 2, and Marina axis of the state.

The Governor’s press secretary, Gboyega Akosile in a statement quoted Sanwo-Olu saying, “This is the first time I am taking you on the blue line to see where we are. The first phase of the Blue line rail project starts from Mile 2 and terminates at Marina. Marina Station is an elevated station and it stretches out to outer Marina and terminates where the Governor’s residence is. At the end of the station, you could see that the track is broken into two bridges. The backtrack is for parking.

“We are happy that the contractors are working seven days a week. The major aspect apart from the Marina Station is a sea crossing from Eko Bridge to join the outer Marina. They would finish it in about three months. And by the time we will be coming back in July, the concrete construction should have been completed.”

According to the governor, who inspected the project alongside some members of his cabinet, officials of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and contractors handling the project, said the blue line rail would run on electric tracks with Electric Motor Vehicle (EMV). He, thus, asked Lagosians to keep off the train lines and avoid walking on them.

He said the Lagos State government will also acquire two sets of four train coaches from China between September and October. Governor Sanwo-Olu assured that they would be adequate security at every train station and platform with the use of CCTV.

The governor also condemned the level of vandalism along the rail corridors and warned perpetrators to desist from such evil acts. The government, he said, would go after companies that buy vandalised rail tracks infrastructure. Sanwo-Olu said the culprits will be traced and prosecuted.

Following this, Motorists have been urged to ply alternative route as the fire incident has caused gridlock and crippled commercial activities around the Lagos Island area of the state.

As at the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire incident could not be ascertained.

“Traffic from Eko bridge has been re-routed to Ebute-Ero to link inner marina. Men of fire service and other security agencies are still on the ground. Therefore, CMS bridge and Eko bridge inward/outward Apongbon is close to traffic at the moment,” Lagos State Traffic Management Agency tweeted.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola, said this during an inspection of the bridge on Friday, stating that construction works on the Costain section of the bridge had been completed, while the entire project was 35 per cent complete.

Popoola said that it was time to continue work on a major expansion joint where traffic coming from Apongbon and the one from Ijora merged around Iponri section on the Eko Bridge.

The controller said in order to remove and replace the expansion joint where traffic merged, the Ijora ramp of the bridge must be shut.

He said construction work was progressing fast because of the clemency of weather, projecting that the project would be delivered ahead of the August 3 scheduled date.

“What we are doing is still the same 10 weeks programme of rehabilitation of Eko Bridge.

“Vehicles that are coming from Ijora end and the ones coming from Apongbon, the two bridges merge at a point.

“At that point where they merge, all the vehicles will now use one lane, so, that is the lane where we want to now change the expansion joint.

“We were working on Apongbon, Iponri, Alaka-bound lane. Now, we want to work on the same lane which is between Costain and Alaka.

“Where we are now is Iponri, but all the vehicles that are coming from Ijora, they meet at a point with the vehicles coming from Apongbon, so, the expansion joint is what we want to now replace.

“As a result of that, the two bridges will now be affected,” he said.

Popoola said vehicles coming from both Ijora and Apongbon could use the Costain ramp as an alternative route to go through Breweries to Abebe Village, Eric Moore to either link Surulere, Funsho Williams Avenue, Stadium or Ikorodu Road.

“The point where we want to work now connects the two bridges together.

“For us to be able to remove the expansion joint, we have to close the two sides of the bridges, otherwise, we will not be able to remove and replace the expansion joint.

“We plan to close the Ijora ramp this night,” the controller said.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olukayode Popoola, who disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria, said first phase of repairs on Third Mainland Bridge would be delivered in October.

According to him, almost all bad expansion joints had pulled out and would be replaced once the weather becomes clement.

The first phase of the project covers the Oworonsoki-bound carriageway.

“We have been able to cut all the six expansion joints and removed the concrete. We have pulled out four, remaining two. We are still looking at October, we will complete the work on the Oworonsoki-bound lane,” he said.

Recall that the bridge was partially closed on July 24 for repairs.

The repair is expected to last for six months with the construction divided into two phases of three months on each carriageway.

Popoola added that the ongoing phase one emergency rehabilitation of the Eko bridge was about 75 per cent completed.

“The plan is to open the bridge to traffic in another two or three weeks, when we will be done with the emergency repairs,” he noted.

On section one of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the controller confirmed it was 54 per cent completed.

“We have been able to complete two numbers abutment where we are going to have the interchange. Piling work is ongoing where we are going to have the flyover.”

On Lagos-Abeokuta-Ota Expressway, Popoola said asphalt was being laid on some sections, including Kola Bus Stop area of Lagos State.

He added that 160 metres of drains had also been completely reconstructed on the Lagos side of the project.

The controller decried the drain stuffing habit of Lagos residents.

Popoola said this was frustrating highway drainage cleaning exercises and urged everyone to keep the environment clean.

In a statement released by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Aramide Adeyoye, the state government listed alternative routes for motorists.

He said “Motorists have been advised to use alternative routes announced by the Lagos State Government for those heading to Lagos Island from Funsho Williams Avenue through Iponri to Costain, connecting Eko Bridge through the National Theatre entry point. Motorists can also pass from Bode Thomas to Eric Moore Road and connect Abebe Village (Nigerian Breweries) to Costain and link their destination through national Theatre to Eko Bridge. Other alternative routes provided are from National Stadium to connect Shitta Roundabout, onward to Adeniran Ogunsanya Road, Bode Thomas, Eric Moore to Abebe Village (Nigerian Breweries) and Costain to link destination through Eko Bridge. Motorists from Ojuelegba are also advised to ply Tejuoso through to Yaba, Murtala Mohammed Way to Oyingbo -Iddo -Otto to Idumota Bridge or Carter Bridge and connect their destination. Commuters from Agege Motor Road or Ikorodu Road should drive through Jibowu to connect Herbert Macaulay Way to Adekunle and 3rd Mainland Bridge towards Lagos Island or other destinations.”