The FEC gave the order at its meeting in the Council Chambers of the State House, after considering a preliminary report that revealed large scale deterioration and damages on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos.
Also, following the report on the condition of the Third Mainland Bridge, the FEC approved N1.06bn for its repairs.
The repairs to be carried out on the bridge include the expansion of eight joints to eliminate identified sources of stress on the foundation of the bridge.
Works Minister, Mike Ononlememen, said these while addressing journalists after the FEC meeting.
Ononlememen said the preliminary report on the condition of the bridge revealed "alarming deterioration and serious damages on a number of pile foundations.
"The result of the dynamic investigation on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos revealed the urgent need to carry out additional repair works consisting of the replacement of eight extra joints at the mid-span axis of the bridge."
Commenting on the daily traffic gridlock at Gwagwalada, the entrance/exit point to the Federal Capital Territory, the minister said that the Second Gwagwalada Bridge would be opened to traffic in the next two weeks.
"All completed sections of the on-going dualisation of the road would also be opened to traffic to ease the harrowing experience of commuters during the yuletide season," he said.
Promising that the government would ease the problems currently being experienced by travellers on the road, he said, "We want to assure Nigerians on what we will do. We are going to open the new bridge at Gwagwalada and all completed sections on that particular road will be opened to traffic.
"You are aware that quite a number of kilometers have been completed on that stretch but they are not being harnessed now.
"But once in a while, you see people driving there illegally.
"What we have done is, we put up a committee made up of members of staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Federal Road Safety Commission and we are going to open both sides of the road.
"We just want to give them the next two weeks.
"Let us see how many more kilometers they are going to add to the road."
The FEC meeting was presided by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, in the absence of President Goodluck Jonathan, who left for France earlier on Wednesday morning for scheduled meetings of the Honourary International Investor Council.-punch
No comments:
Post a Comment