The governor said  the construction of the bridge would commence in the first quarter of 2024, “by the end of March or April.”

He spoke at the Lagos West Senatorial District Town Hall Meeting held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja.

Sanwo-Olu noted that the bridge would  be constructed and opened for use in phases, while stating that extensive work had already been done towards the commencement of the construction.

He said, “You cannot get a new road without needing to do a bit of discomfort. But we will ensure that we compensate everybody that their property or their businesses will be disturbed by this new construction. But it’s going to be along existing corridors.

“So, there will be a few buildings that will be touched. But I want to assure you that not only will the landlord be paid full compensation, but places we have tenants as well, we will ensure that we also compensate them. And we will ensure that nobody is unduly taken advantage of.”

On when the construction of the much-awaited bridge would start, the governor said, “We’ve done extensive work on the bridge. But we are at the crossroads of where to get the real financing for that kind of project. We’ll need to be very very creative, but we thank God because we have reached the last final dot of the construction. Our commitment is that within this first quarter, meaning that by the end of March or April, we should break the ground to start the construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge.”

The Fourth Mainland Bridge is a 38km-long bridge project by the Lagos State Government, connecting Lagos Island by way of Langbasa (Lekki) and Baiyeku (Ikorodu) across the Lagos Lagoon to Itamaga, in Ikorodu. The bridge is a 2 x 4 lane carriageway cross-sectional road with permission for Bus Rapid Transit Lane and future road contraction.

Meanwhile, Sanwo-Olu said the Lagos Red Line rail would be unveiled in February, adding that the state government had written officially to President Bola Tinubu to invite him for the unveiling of the rail line.

“Our Red Line rail will be unveiled in February. In fact, we have written officially to Mr President to come and help us unveil it in February this year,” Sanwo-Olu said.

The Red Line rail is a 37-kilometre North-South rail route that will run from Agbado to Marina with 13 stations at Agbado, Iju, Agege, Ikeja, Murtala Muhammed International Airport International Wing, MMIA Domestic, Oshodi, Mushin, Yaba, Ebute Metta, Iddo, Ebute Ero and Marina.

The governor disclosed this on Thursday in his keynote address during the Lagos West Senatorial District Town Hall Meeting held at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton, Ikeja.

Sanwo-Olu noted that the bridge will be constructed in phases while promising that landlords and tenants of structures demolished during the construction will be duly compensated.

“We’ve done extensive work on the bridge. But we are at the crossroads of where to get the real financing for that kind of project. We’ll need to be very very creative,” he said.

“Our commitment is that within this first quarter, meaning that by the end of March or April, we should break grounds to start the construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge,” Sanwo-Olu added.

The Federal and Lagos State governments have stated this, just as its said a lot of efforts had been made to reduce the number of affected structures from about 9,000 to less than 800.

The state government, however, promised adequate compensation to the owners of the affected property, adding that all stakeholders would be satisfactorily considered in the execution of the project.

The Environment Minister, Mamoud Abubakar, who was represented by a director in the ministry, James Kolawole, disclosed this at the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Stakeholders’ scoping workshop with the Federal Ministry of Environment in Lagos.

He said there should be sincere commitment on the part of Lagos State government on the compensation for owners of affected properties.

The minister explained that though the project would have about 16 alignments, but the best had been selected.

“There was an alignment that will affect about 9,000 structures along the corridor, but we have reviewed it and gone for the alignment that will affect about 795 houses, instead of the one that will take more houses. It is an ongoing thing on how best to minimise the negative impact,” he said.

The State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development said the bridge, which will connect Lagos and Ogun states, will pass through Abraham Adesanya in Lagos and Sparklight Estate near the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.

A town planner in the ministry, Mr. Abayomi Omolola Amos said the alignment of the project had been carefully designed to reduce the number of houses that should be demolished.

The Federal Government said the proposed bridge will boost economic growth and enhance international trade.

Abubakar said the Lagos State government had been working on the project for about four years and had made several representations to the Federal Government.

The minister, whom spoke through Kolawole, said the project would enhance commerce and international trade to improve the people’s livelihoods.

He congratulated the state government on the laudable project, while stressing the need to take cognisance of both positive and negative impacts of the project on stakeholders.

According to him, doing this will ensure all issues are addressed to avoid compromising the comfort of future generations.

“For us as a ministry, we are happy with the positive impact, but there is need to resolve the negative aspects: what we need is sustainable development,” he said.