$2.5bn 4th Mainland Bridge ready in 2027

Lagos State government on Friday disclosed that the proposed construction of the 4th Mainland Bridge project that will gulp $2.5billion will be completed in 2027.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Private Partnerships, Mr. Ope George, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mrs. Aramide Adeyoye revealed this on Friday, during a press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.

They said the official turning of sod for the project will be done by Governor Bababjide Sanwo-Olu in the first quarter of 2023.

The state government through the Office of Public Private Partnerships, had on Thursday, announced Messrs CCECC-CRCCIG Consortium as the preferred bidder for the project.

Sanwo-Olu, had at different fora assured residents that the preferred bidder for the project would be announced before January 1, 2023.

Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, Lagos/Abuja highway, Benin/Sagamu and Igbogbo/Lagos would be aligned with the road.

The project would be delivered through Public-Private Partnership initiative and tolled for two years.

George had said on Thursday that the 4th Mainland Bridge (4MB) will comprise of the construction and operation of a greenfield tolled road and bridge with a design speed of 120 kilometre per hour, including the development of adjacent real estates.

He added that the bridge, when completed, would become the second longest in Africa with three toll plazas, nine interchanges, a 4.5 kilometre Lagoon Bridge and an eco-friendly environment. It is also expected to span about 37 kilometres, starting from Abraham Adesanya in Ajah, on the Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe corridor and traverse the North West towards the Lagoon shoreline of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway via Owutu/Isawo in Ikorodu.

Also speaking, Adeyoye added that the bridge will reduce congestion on the existing Carter, Eko and Third Mainland Bridges while opening new areas of the city for future developments.

She said the state government had carried along the over 48 estates, traditional rulers and others that would be affected by the project.

Adeyoye said the negative impact of the project was minimal compared to the advantages, urging those anxious for the project to take off to be patient and cooperate with the contractor during its construction