The Federal Government has debunked fears of the collapse of Third Mainland Bridge and has reiterated its commitment to taking proactive measures to ensure that the bridge is kept in an acceptable service condition.
Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja while reacting to media reports on the alleged near-collapse of the bridge.
He said the speculations are based on mere perceptions, as they have not been justified by any civil engineering test, adding that the ministry is progressing in ensuring routine maintenance. He disclosed that the defects in the eight expansion joints of the bridge were spotted, repaired and replaced since last year.
Onolememen admitted that serious steel casing corrosion is noticeable on the bridge but maintained that the steel casing has no structural correlation to the pile-bearing capacity, as it serves only as form works to the piles.
He advised the general public to ignore the alarms, as the Third Mainland Bridge is not in any way defective. He said he himself still drove on the bridge twice last week on different days, and asked “Lagosians to continue using the bridge
Asked on the origination of the story, the minister replied that the report being quoted originated from the ministry, which was for under water inspection.
He maintained that the structural integrity of the bridge was not in any doubt, considering that further tests by reputable engineering companies have confirmed the adequacy of pile concrete quality.
“Based on their advice, the ministry is ensuring continuous routine maintenance works,” he added.
