Motorists plying the longest among the three bridges that connect Lagos Island with Mainland, the Third Mainland Bridge are currently lamenting the presence of potholes in some parts of the bridge.
The about 11.8km bridge starts from the Oworonshoki end of the Mainland and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island.
The bridge had witnessed different rehabilitation works since it was completed in 1990 with the last one carried out on April 2, 2023, by the Lagos State Government.
According to a statement by the state Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, the government was meant to repair identified failed/peeled asphaltic sections.
The state government said though the bridge fell under the jurisdiction of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, it had to move in to repair the inbound and outbound sections along the University of Lagos axis, due to vehicular tailback and the danger posed by the level of damage to motorists.
Despite these interventions, however, an investigation by on Sunday revealed that motorists had been enduring the effects of potholes on the bridge.
For instance, it was noticed that these potholes are noticeable on the Obalende to Adekunle stretch of the bridge.
They are also noticeable while approaching the bridge from Ebute Meta.
Some regular users of the bridge shared their harrowing experiences in separate interviews with our correspondent.
A commercial driver who identified himself as Mr Capo said he had so far lost two tyres to the impact of the potholes on the bridge.
“I have lost two tyres on the bridge because of the potholes. I have changed my tyre rims more than three times because of that bridge. Relevant authorities should please help us,” he said.
Another motorist who identified himself as Mr Timothy while lamenting the effect of the potholes on his car, said, “One day, my car got into a pothole and the transmission fluid container opened and fluid was all over the car engine. The state government should please do something about the potholes.”
Another regular user of the bridge, Mr Monday Alonge, also called on the government to fix the potholes and the railings.
“Towards Iyana-Oworo and Ojota, there is always gridlock and there has never been a visible cause. Also, after Obalende, going forward, there are many potholes and you usually cannot drive straight,” Alonge lamented.
A businessman, Isaac, spoke about how he was always scared driving on the bridge.
“There are many bad portions on the bridge and I usually get scared when driving on it. Hopefully, the Federal Government can do something about it for us,” he said.
Mr Daniel, who also spoke with our correspondent, raised concerns that the portholes were getting wider.
“The potholes are getting wider and sometimes, I feel like the bridge is shaking or vibrating. There should be routine maintenance; there should also be more security personnel on the ground and more towing vehicles,” he said.
Contacted, the Director of Information, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Mrs Maryam Sanusi, said a team would be sent to ascertain the current condition of the bridge, admitting that potholes posed a safety risk.
Sanusi said, “I will ask the Bridge Maintenance Unit to ascertain the current condition as I am aware that recent maintenance of the joints was undertaken by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.
“Depending on the width of the gap, it could be allowance for expansion and contraction of the bridge deck. Ditches and potholes on the bridge deck need to be immediately repaired as they pose a safety risk and the cause is identified to avoid future occurrence.”
