Babatunde Fashola announced that the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos would be totally reopened to traffic this weekend. This comes after the government announced that there would be a total closure of the Third Mainland bridge from midnight Friday to midnight Saturday.

Recall that the bridge has been partially shut since July 2020 for repairs.

The Minister of Works and Housing in a radio phone-in program did not specify which day of the weekend to expect the reopening. He said:

“I can tell you now that this weekend, it will be opened definitely. My directors are still in Lagos. The major works have now been finished, so let me say that again by way of information.

Definitely this weekend it will be reopened. I will announce the date toward Friday and the reason why I am holding back the exact date is that we are the government.

Any time we say something, people must reliably be able to plan their lives around what we say”.

Speaking further, the Minister said that lane markings and finishing touches would be done within the next 48 to 72 hours, adding that the total shutdown of the bridge to happen at midnight on Friday would be the last before the total reopening.

“The major works have now been finished, the piles, all the joints, all the bearings, everything is done. The last miles now are the works which were not in the contract but we insisted must be done.

“We are asphalting some of the places on the pavement that have been affected by erosion; some of the lane markings have worn away so we want to do that,’’ he said.