Third Mainland Bridge
Gboyega Akinsanmi
The Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Lands and Urban Development, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, yesterday emphasised the need to conduct detailed investigation on the structural integrity of Africa’s longest bridge, Third Mainland Bridge.
Ashafa, who represents Lagos East senatorial district in the Senate, also commended the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approving N290.45 million for the purpose of conducting integrity test on the 11.8-kilometre long bridge.
Ashafa, who represents Lagos East senatorial district in the Senate, also commended the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approving N290.45 million for the purpose of conducting integrity test on the 11.8-kilometre long bridge.
The lawmaker expressed the standpoints in a statement he personally signed, stating that the need for comprehensive integrity test became necessary in order to forestall any incident of collapse, which an independent report forecast early this year.
He said the controversies surrounding the underwater piles of the third mainland bridge “will at last be laid to rest. No one is trying to destroy the works of others, both the senate and the executive arm of the government are working together to provide good governance rather than playing politics with the lives of our people.”
He said the controversies surrounding the underwater piles of the third mainland bridge “will at last be laid to rest. No one is trying to destroy the works of others, both the senate and the executive arm of the government are working together to provide good governance rather than playing politics with the lives of our people.”
Ashafa explained that the outlined prayers of the motion “have been complied with and the needed funds approved accordingly. This, in my opinion, is a good step by the FEC, Senate Committee on Works and the Ministry of Works.”
The Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, had, after the FEC meeting on Wednesday, said the approval was sequel to a memorandum presented to the council by the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen.
The Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, had, after the FEC meeting on Wednesday, said the approval was sequel to a memorandum presented to the council by the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen.
According to him, the minister of works tabled a memorandum to seek approval for the comprehensive underwater inspection, assessment of pilings, river bed bathymetric survey, profiling and echo metric test on the Third Mainland Bridge.
About six months after the bridge underwent a major repair work a new report revealed that about 1,318 foundation piles of the bridge had suffered concrete degradation and appreciable loss of concrete materials.
About six months after the bridge underwent a major repair work a new report revealed that about 1,318 foundation piles of the bridge had suffered concrete degradation and appreciable loss of concrete materials.
Even before the new report was issued last month, the report revealed that Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), had directed the state’s Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, to write the federal government on the grave conditions of the bridge despite a recent major repair work carried out on the infrastructure.
But the report, which was authored NSD Divers and Engineers, in collaboration with Concrete Structural Engineering Laboratory of the Yonsei University, South Korea, was issued after an independent structural integrity test conducted on the bridge on December 3 and 4, 2012.
But the report, which was authored NSD Divers and Engineers, in collaboration with Concrete Structural Engineering Laboratory of the Yonsei University, South Korea, was issued after an independent structural integrity test conducted on the bridge on December 3 and 4, 2012.
The report said underwater inspections were conducted using the latest tools available in the industry; the residual thickness of the caissons checked, integrity of the reinforced concrete in-fill tested and corrosion of the embedded steel reinforcements investigated.
Consequent upon the inspection, the report noted that there “was concrete degradation and appreciable loss of concrete material in 46 foundation piles. There was extensive reinforcement bars deterioration in about eight piles.
Consequent upon the inspection, the report noted that there “was concrete degradation and appreciable loss of concrete material in 46 foundation piles. There was extensive reinforcement bars deterioration in about eight piles.
“There was extensive damage of confining steel caissons and progressive concrete spalling in 24 piles. There was also progressive caisson deterioration in 1,318 foundation piles,” the report said, along with pictorial evidence that shows the state of the bridge.
In a cover letter attached to the report and addressed to the lawmakers, the report warned that the Third Mainland Bridge “is an accident waiting to happen unless the degradations are urgently arrested” to avert grave situations on Africa’s longest bridge.
In a cover letter attached to the report and addressed to the lawmakers, the report warned that the Third Mainland Bridge “is an accident waiting to happen unless the degradations are urgently arrested” to avert grave situations on Africa’s longest bridge.
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