The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Olukorede Kesha, on Sunday, expressed satisfaction with repairs done on the Third Mainland Bridge, assuring motorists of a smooth ride till the commencement of comprehensive rehabilitation in January 2024.

Ms Kesha gave the assurance on Sunday during an on-the-spot assessment of the repairs on the bridge.

On Thursday, the controller announced a 24-hour closure of the bridge to allow for repairs of some critical portions.

The closure took effect from midnight Saturday till midnight Sunday (today) to reduce motorists’ hardship.

During the inspection, the controller stopped on various portions between Iyana-Oworo and Adeniji-Adele, where remedial repairs had been done on a 9.7-kilometre stretch of the Lagos Island inbound lane.

“This repair is going to last beyond January; we don’t intend to do any work that will last only one or two months. Even by January, the road will still be good,” she said.

The controller added that damaged ramps and expansion joints would be replaced, in addition to painting the parapet walls and other major repairs.

Meanwhile, some road users who spoke with journalists thanked President Bola Tinubu for the repairs but called for more routine maintenance and increased funding for the bridge and other roads in Lagos.

Adewale Edward, a commercial bus driver who plies the Ikeja-CMS/Obalende route, commended the repairs done at the weekend, which, he noted, was an off-peak period.

He, however, called for more regular maintenance and proactive measures to make the bridge pothole-free at all times.

A trader in Oke Koto, Agege area, Sadia Saleh, also praised the president for introducing short-term repairs that would not impact activities and businesses negatively.

“Tinubu knows how to grow the economy; that’s why he did the repairs after we had finished business on the Island on Saturday, and because people are plenty in Lagos, doing repairs on the weekend is better,” she said.

Other road users also commended Mr Tinubu and appealed for increased funding for federal road projects in the state.

The 11.8-kilometre bridge is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland.

The bridge, which starts from Oworonshoki, linking the Apapa-Oshodi expressway and Lagos-Ibadan expressway, ends at the Adeniji-Adele interchange on Lagos Island.

It was constructed in 1990 and adjudged as the longest bridge in Africa until 1996, when the construction of the October 6 Bridge in Cairo, Egypt, was completed.

(NAN)