Lagos State commits further to infrastructure with MoU on 4th Mainland Bridge

26 May 2016
Financial Nigeria

Summary

When completed, the 4th Mainland Bridge will be the longest bridge in Africa, surpassing the 6th October Bridge (20.5 km) in Cairo, Egypt and the Third Mainland Bridge (11.8 km) in Lagos.

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode

The Lagos State government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a consortium of investors on Wednesday for the construction of a 38-kilometre bridge, called the 4th Mainland Bridge.

The project, which is expected to cost about N844 billion, will be constructed under a Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) concession contract, which will span a period of 40 years.

When completed, the 4th Mainland Bridge will be the longest bridge in Africa, surpassing the 6th October Bridge (20.5 km) in Cairo, Egypt and the Third Mainland Bridge (11.8 km) in Lagos.

The MoU was signed a day after Governor Ambode unveiled the state government’s plan to regenerate Oshodi and its environs by constructing the Oshodi Transport Interchange via a public private partnership at a cost of $70 million. The interchange will feature the construction of three world-class bus terminals in Oshodi.

Speaking during the signing of the MoU at the Lagos House in Ikeja, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said constructing the bridge became necessary in order to ease traffic gridlock across the fast-growing Lagos metropolis, which has a population of over 21 million people.

“This has made it imperative for us to have a 4th Mainland Bridge that will serve as an alternative route to the Eastern axis and decongest traffic in the State,” Ambode said. “More importantly this bridge will provide the required transportation compliment to the rapidly growing industrial activities on the Eti-Osa – Lekki – Epe corridor of the State.”

Ambode said the proposed alignment of the bridge will pass through Lekki, Langbasa and Baiyeiku towns along the shoreline of the Lagos Lagoon estuaries, further running through Igbogbo River Basin and crossing the Lagos Lagoon estuaries to Itamaga area in Ikorodu. The bridge will also cross through the Itoikin Road and the Ikorodu–Sagamu Road to connect Isawo inward the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at the Ojodu-Berger axis.

The Lagos State Governor said the bridge will consist of eight interchanges to facilitate effective inter-connectivity between different parts of the state.

“This structure will be a four-lane dual carriageway with each comprising three lanes and two metres hard shoulder on each side. The bridge will be constructed to have a generous median to allow for both future carriageway expansion and light rail facility,” Ambode said.

According to him, the bridge will have three toll plazas, which are still being tested, and will serve as a major boost to the actualization of the Lekki Master Plan.

The consortium of investors handling different stages of the project are Visible Asset Limited, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Hi-tech Construction Limited, J.P. Morgan, Eldorado Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Westminster Dredging and Marine, Africa Finance Corporation, and Access Bank.

The project is to be financed by the Africa Finance Corporation, Access Bank, and other private investors. Visible Asset Limited, owned by Idowu Iluyomade, will be the coordinating firm.


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