The federal government on Thursday announced a two-day total closure of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos to allow for repairs on some sections of the bridge.

The federal controller of works, Olukayode Popoola, told NAN in Lagos that the closure would begin from midnight of October 30 and end at midnight of November 1.

“We are planning to cast two number expansion joints, and we shall close the Third Mainland Bridge from midnight of October 30 until midnight of November 1,’’ he said.

The controller said that there was the need to shut both bounds of the bridge – from Adeniji Adele to Adekunle –  in addition to the closed bound of the bridge, to complete the work.

Mr. Popoola stated that the closure is to ensure that there is no vibration on the bridge during casting in-place of the newly-installed expansion joints.

“This is to allow for setting of the special concrete, which allows the concrete to achieve its required compressive strength,’’ Mr. Popoola said.

He said that the government decided to close the bridge on  a weekend to minimise the impact on vehicular traffic.

The controller assured that adequate traffic managers will be deployed to control all the alternative routes.

“We regret any inconveniences this two-day closure will cause,’’ Mr. Popoola said.

Third Mainland Bridge  has been going through a series of repairs for some time now. It was partially shut on July 24 for repair.

The repair is expected to last for six months. It is divided into two phases of three months on each carriageway, starting with the Oworonsoki bound carriageway.

The first total closure of a section of the bridge from Adekunle to Adeniji Adele was done from October 9 to October 11 midnight, to complete the first stage of casting works.

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

The bridge starts from Oworonshoki, which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island.

Constructed in 1990, the bridge was adjudged as the longest in Africa until 1996 when the October 6 Bridge in Cairo was completed.

(NAN)