The Federal Government has revealed plans to shut down Falomo Bridge at the Ikoyi area of Lagos Island, once repairs are concluded on the Third Mainland Bridge.
Babatunde Fashola, the Minister of Works and Housing, who was a guest on Classic FM on Sunday, revealed plans to shut the Falomo Bridge as the Third Mainland Bridge would be fully open to vehicular traffic before the end of February.
Fashola stressed that Falomo Bridge expansion joints need work, while listing the several bridges the Federal Government had worked on.
He said, “The pillars, the piles, repair and underwater repair of the Third Mainland Bridge should not keep us beyond the end of February.
“Let me also say we have done work on Ojuelegba Bridge; we have done work on Independent Bridge. We have also done some work on the Falomo Bridge and we plan to close the Falomo Bridge after the Third Mainland Bridge.
“We have to work on Falomo because the expansion joints also need to be replaced. The deck work has been done but we will notify the public in details when it will happen. We are also working on the Eko Bridge and right under it.”
Fashola however explained that the Second Niger Bridge would be ready in 2022, and that the work was funded by the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority and proceeds from late Sani Abacha’s loot.
“There is a road network of about 20 kilometres, 11 on the Anambra side, nine on the Asaba side and the other network of roads that leads you to Owerri. The bridge will be finished sometime early next year and the road work will continue.”
“People may say they do not see what is happening because the greater percentage of the bridgework is underwater. The milling, reinforcement, concrete, cement and while that is going on, people may think nothing is happening. We are now at a point where the Onitsha bound section of the deck is almost completed. Once we finish that we will switch to the Delta bound side.” He said.