Barring last minute hitches, repair works will commence on the Third Mainland Bridge,Lagos, South-West,Nigeria today July1-November 6,2010.
The Third Mainland Bridge is a major link road which connects Lagos to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the major route to South-West, South-South, South-East and Northern Nigeria, as well as and other axis within Lagos metropolis itself.
All indices indicate that motorist and other road users will have an hectic time traveling during the 4 months the repair works will last.
The 11.8 km bridge is the shortest route to Lagos Island, when one approaches it from Agege, Ikeja, Ojota, Ojodu, Ketu, Ikorodu, and Ebute Meta, among others. The same holds for those commuting from Obalende, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki, among others, to the mainland.
To reduce the hardship motorist and commuters who normally use this road will face here are alternative routes to follow :
Linking Lagos Island through Carter Bridge via Ikorodu Road; and Murtala Muhammed Way, Ebute Meta, linking Lagos Island through Carter via Funso Williams Avenue (formerly Western Avenue); and linking Lagos Island through Apapa-Oshodi Expressway via Ijora interchange and Eko Bridge, among others.
The Murtala Muhammed Way corridor, which stretches from Yaba to Oyingbo, is one of the alternative routes. Though it is a smooth road, commercial buses popularly known as paragon, are a law unto themselves. They pick passengers indiscriminately at undesignated bus stops, and interrupt free flow of traffic.
Like what obtains on the Yaba/Oyingbo route, motorists coming from the Ikorodu end have to contend with commercial bus drivers who pick passengers in the middle of the road along Mile 12 Market, from as early as 5:30am.
Besides, Ikorodu Road has its own challenges: at certain spots around Onipanu and Baptist Academy bus stops, for those moving from either Yaba or from Funso Williams Avenue towards Ojota/Ikeja, there are undulating spots, what with the underground pipelines along the route. And every year, maintenance works are done on these spots, which may further impede an otherwise heavy traffic.
Furthermore, for those who might want to go through the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, there is a snag. For one, the road is pot-hole-ridden, a problem which slows down traffic. They are noticeable around Cele and Ijesha bus stops.
Worse still, in certain portions of the road, the service lanes have fallen into disuse, which forcing the commercial bus drivers to pick their passengers on the road indiscriminately.
Though construction work is still being carried out on the road, the workers are noticeable around Berger auto market, and a few kilometres from there.
, include linking Lagos Island through Carter Bridge via Ikorodu Road; and Murtala Muhammed Way, Ebute Meta, linking Lagos Island through Carter via Funso Williams Avenue (formerly Western Avenue); and linking Lagos Island through Apapa-Oshodi Expressway via Ijora interchange and Eko Bridge, among others.
The Murtala Muhammed Way corridor, which stretches from Yaba to Oyingbo, is one of the alternative routes. Though it is a smooth road, commercial buses popularly known as paragon, are a law unto themselves. They pick passengers indiscriminately at undesignated bus stops, and interrupt free flow of traffic.
Like what obtains on the Yaba/Oyingbo route, motorists coming from the Ikorodu end have to contend with commercial bus drivers who pick passengers in the middle of the road along Mile 12 Market, from as early as 5:30am.
Besides, Ikorodu Road has its own challenges: at certain spots around Onipanu and Baptist Academy bus stops, for those moving from either Yaba or from Funso Williams Avenue towards Ojota/Ikeja, there are undulating spots, what with the underground pipelines along the route. And every year, maintenance works are done on these spots, which may further impede an otherwise heavy traffic.
Furthermore, for those who might want to go through the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, there is a snag. For one, the road is pot-hole-ridden, a problem which slows down traffic. They are noticeable around Cele and Ijesha bus stops.
Worse still, in certain portions of the road, the service lanes have fallen into disuse, which forcing the commercial bus drivers to pick their passengers on the road indiscriminately.
Though construction work is still being carried out on the road, the workers are noticeable around Berger auto market, and a few kilometres from there.
Despite several alternative link roads, while the repair works go on, expect gridlocks to increase in Lagos during this period, so our advice here at naijalog are : plan your route, use other shorter routes not listed, leave home early and ensure that you do not necessarily cause delay on the road you are plying.
