Third Mainland bridge closure: Tankers, trucks take over alternative routes

The temporary closure of the Third Mainland Bridge to allow for a three-day investigative maintenance test prior to its repair began last night with strong indications that serious hardship awaits motorists and other road users in Lagos. Reason: Most of the alternative routes announced by the Lagos State Government are currently blocked by trucks.


The Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Ade Akinsanya, had while announcing the closure, advised motorists to use designated alternative routes pending when the bridge would be reopened to traffic.

Alternative routes

The designated alternative routes include: Those coming from Lagos-Abeokuta, Agege, Ogba and Ikeja are to make use of Oshodi via Mushin Ojuelegba to connect Carter Bridge into Island; those from Ikorodu, Maryland are to make use of Funsho Williams Avenue, formerly, Western Avenue via Yaba to Oyinbo and connect Eko Bridge into Island. Motorists from Okokomaiko, Festac, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway are enjoined to ply through Ajegunle via Marine Bridge to Ijora to connect Carter Bridge to Apongbon into Lagos Island. Conversely, motorists from the Island are expected to ply Eko Bridge and Carter Bridge into Mainland, while those in Lekki Ajah can also make use of Epe axis through Imota into Ikorodu.

Accessing alternative routes

However, accessibility remains a big factor in routes bordering Okokomaiko, Festac, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Ajegunle via Marine Bridge to Ijora, and Carter Bridge to Apongbon into Lagos Island as the areas are still choked by hundreds of illegally parked tankers and container-laden trucks.

An on-the-spot count done by Vanguard last month revealed that over 12,000 of these articulated vehicles were parked in different locations in that axis.

A breakdown of this figure then showed that from Iyana Isolo to Tin Can, there were 3,200 trucks parked on the road; Ijora to Palmgrove, 3,485; from Marine Bridge to Ijora, 1850 and down the bridge, 1050; from Stadium to Eko Bridge, 874; from Costain—Stadium-Alaka—Fadeyi, 865; from Berger Suya to Kirikiri Road (New Road Bus stop) 678; from Wilmer Bridge to Awodiora (Ajegunle) 187; and from Coker to Costain Bridge, 63. The entire Berger area had 671 of these articulated vehicles of which 210 were parked on the bridge.

A visit to the affected areas, yesterday, showed that the situation has not changed much, with different articulated vehicles still occupying key access roads and completely impeding the flow of traffic. It is a development many see as likely to render unworkable the alternative routes announced by the Lagos State government for use by motorists pending the reopening of the Third Mainland Bridge.