The three-day closure of the Third Mainland Bridge for Investigative Maintenance Test earlier slated to begin on July 27, 2018, has been shifted.
It will now be closed from August 24.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.
The shutdown, earlier scheduled to last from July 27 to July 30 will now last from August 24 to August 26, 2018.
In a press statement by his media aide, Hakeem Bello, Fashola said the shift in the date was arrived at after due consultations with the Lagos State Government and wide deliberations with other relevant stakeholders.
He added that the date shift was done “in order to give succour and relief to the people of Lagos State and other inter-state road users and support the efforts of the state government.”
On the efforts to decongest the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, Fashola said, in the short term, he had directed the immediate deployment of trucks to the trailer park being constructed by his ministry with the capacity to accommodate about 300 trucks while construction works for the shoreline protection continued.
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He said too that the on-going palliative work on the sections of the Apapa-Oshodi Road, the on-going construction of the road leading to the Apapa Port from Ijora would soon be completed while the main exit route through Tincan – Oshodi – Oworonshoki was under procurement for award.
When completed, he stated, the project would enable free flow of traffic in the axis.
Also following the visit of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, to Lagos in connection with the Apapa Port Gridlock, the Federal Government has said, as a short term measure, a call up system in the control of truck movement would be introduced.
It was added that it would be initially manual while the long term digital and ICT based system would be developed and deployed.
The Association of Truck Owners has agreed to manage the manual system with their members who are truck operators, government also said.
