Arguably the most ambitious project by any government, the proposed N844.4 billion Fourth Mainland Bridge, which Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed last May, may well be the signature project for the Akinwunmi Ambode administration, writes ADEYINKA ADERIBIGBE
WITH a population of about 25 million, an economy reputed to be Africa’s fifth largest and a Gross Domestic Product (GDP), averaging $133 billion (about N27 trillion), Lagos State can be called Africa’s megacity.
But, unlike other megacities, Lagos cannot boast of modern infrastructure. Rather, it parades old infrastructure that are inadequate for its growing population.
One area where the inadequacy is most evident is in the transportation sector, where traffic congestion has become the new definition of modern Lagos.
This problem, according to experts, may get worse if the government does not address the infrastructure deficit, by not only expanding the old roads across the state, but also building new ones.
While successive administrations in the last 16 years have addressed the first leg by expanding the capacity of most high density roads and have been attempting to fix most of the inner ones, the Akinwunmi Ambode administration last May took a bold step by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a consortium of firms and finance houses for delivering the Fourth Mainland Bridge, a project which has almost become a mirage, having been in abeyance over the last 14 years.
When the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration thought of the fourth bridge, the needed indices were non-existent. With the state’s population less than 10 million, and traffic recording low congestion compared to its present state, many would have thought the dream was another white elephant that would be dead on arrival.
With each passing year, however, the need for the bridge becomes more urgent as the vehicle density in the state grows, forcing the Babatunde Fashola government to attempt its hands on it.
Though the government stopped when faced with some structures (put at 3,000), that have abridged the bridge’s right of way since its conception, it, however, ensured that the preliminary legwork for a new engineering design for the bridge that would take a new alignment began.
With the early take-off of the project in the Ambode administration, there is no doubt that the state is closer to achieving its dream. Not only would the government deliver the project, it is almost certain that it would come with less pain.
About 2,200 houses are saved in the new alignment design, meaning a huge reduction not only in compensation, but also the cost of litigation or orders that might emanate from courts by aggrieved litigants over the laudable project.
Dream bridge
The architectural and engineering design of the ambitious 38-kilometre bridge is a wonder to behold. Coming almost 50 years after the state’s existence and 26 years after the delivery of the Third Mainland Bridge by the ex-military President Ibrahim Babangida, the Fourth Mainland Bridge is the most ambitious project to be embarked upon by the state government under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) platform.
The project, which is the longest of all the bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, is without financial backing by the Federal Government.
On completion, it would complement the Eko, Carter and Third Mainland Bridges and serve to deflood traffic on the Eastern flanks of the state, providing a backbone to the industrial development rapidly shaping up in the Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe areas.
According to the Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure Ganiyu Johnson, the bridge will pass through Lekki, Langbasa, and Baiyeku towns, on the Lagoon estuaries to Itamaga, in Ikorodu. The bridge, which would have a ring road would be made up of eight interchanges to facilitate interconnectivity among parts of the state. A four lane dual carriage way bridge, with each comprising three lanes with two metres wide shoulder on each side, and a generous median on each side to accommodate future expansion and light rail facility, the road would link Itoikin road, connect Ikorodu-Sagamu road to Isawo inward LagosIbadan Expressway and land at Ojodu Berger axis.
This uncommon bridge is also coming with very special feature, which Johnson describes as “the heart.” It will consist of a two level bridge which would connect people in large number and improve their natural flow through a reorganisation of vehicular, waterways and pedestrian modes of transportation.
“This two level bridge will not only function as a means of transportation on its upper level, but would also stimulate and accommodate social, commercial and cultural interaction of pedestrians never before experienced in these parts on such terrains on its lower level to give a typical “Lagos Life” feel, with its tropical environment and intimate street level exchanges,” Johnson said.
The Fourth Mainland Bridge with road networks, he further added, would form a primary ring road round Lagos to provide alternative traffic routes from Lekki to Ikorodu, Ikeja and Ajah, relieving the Third Mainland bridge of its heavy traffic.
With the improved flow of people across Lagos, the city will be relieved of congestion, maximise its opportunities and grow better, Ambode had said.
When completed, the bridge will drastically reduce traffic congestion on the Eko, Carter and Third Mainland Bridges and change the traffic patterns drastically along the new route.
“The proposed bridge will traverse from Ajah in the Northwest to Lagos Ibadan Expressway via Ikorodu in the Southwest, a 37.9-kilometre long road that is designed with a speed limit of 140km/h.
It will decongest traffic gridlock within the Lekki corridor and redistribute it towards mainland, improving travel experience and travel time for motorists.
Nightmares gone
Former Commissioner for Housing Mr Bosun Jeje may have spoken the minds of many motorists when he said the bridge would end the nightmare of many.
Jeje, who hails from Lagos East Senatorial district, said many have been looking forward to the bridge. “We have been dreaming of this bridge for a very long time. Its coming at this time will not only relieve our nightmare, but it will advance development around the entire Lagos East Senatorial District,” he reportedly said.
A transportation expert Dr Tajudeen Bawa’ Allah described the project as a gift by Governor Ambode to Epe and Ikorodu people, who have almost lost the hope of the realisation of the bridge in their lifetime.
“For 14 years they have waited and Governor Ambode has assured us all that they only need to wait three more years to see the bridge of their dreams. What is more, the bridge is uncommon, not only because it is ground floor for commercial and other pedestrian purposes, but would have a distribution routes that would link to Ojodu Berger on the southern flanks of the state,” the erudite nonegerian scholar said.
The people of the area happy with the project. “We won’t mind, if our homes are destroyed during the execution of the project,” the Baale of Baiyeku Chief Saheed Ajibode said.
Rather than protest the project that would see a large portion of his settlement consumed by the construction, the chief said: “We know that it is going to affect some houses, but we don’t mind. We want it.
“We are very happy about the development because it will open up this place, make us more enlightened and bring new life to Baiyeku. Rather than pick up the government, we are appealing to the government to put in more efforts in ensuring that the bridge is completed on time.”
Another resident, Pa Titus Nosiru, said: “We have been looking forward to this development for a very long time and we are happy and we are looking forward to when these people would come and begin work.”
A leader of the Egun community, who gave his name as Timothy, said his people were happy because the fourth mainland bridge project has been long overdue.
“We welcome the project whole heartedly. There is no where any project of this nature is being undertaken that it won’t affect some houses. We have no doubt that the people affected would be compensated and as you can see, there’s no mansion anywhere here,” another lad, Stephen, said as he rows a boat ashore.