In a significant announcement, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu revealed that the construction of the long-anticipated Fourth Mainland Bridge is set to commence in the first quarter of 2024. The disclosure took place during the Lagos West Senatorial District Town Hall Meeting at the Balmoral Convention Centre, Sheraton, Ikeja.
Governor Sanwo-Olu emphasized a gradual construction approach and assured that tenants and landlords affected by building demolitions in the process would receive fair compensation.
Here are thirteen key facts about the Fourth Mainland Bridge:
- The Fourth Mainland Bridge, once completed, is poised to become the second-longest bridge in Africa, featuring three toll plazas, nine interchanges, a 4.5-kilometer Lagoon Bridge, and an eco-friendly environment. It will also be the longest among all the bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland.
- This 38km-long bridge project by the Lagos State Government aims to connect Lagos Island through Langbasa and Baiyeku in Ikorodu across the Lagos Lagoon to Itamaga in Ikorodu.
- Originally scheduled for construction in 2017 with an anticipated completion date of 2019 and an estimated cost of approximately N844 billion, the project faced delays and did not commence as planned.
- The Fourth Mainland Bridge is designed as a 2 x 4 lane carriageway cross-sectional road, with provisions for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Lane and future road contraction.
- The conceptualization of the bridge was initiated during the tenure of former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
- In December 2022, the Lagos State Government, through the Office of Public Private Partnership, announced CCECC-CRCCIG CONSORTIUM as the preferred bidder for the project, entrusted with executing the plans laid out by the state government.
- The commencement of the bridge construction comes 57 years after the creation of Lagos State on May 27, 1967, and 34 years after the completion of the Third Mainland Bridge in 1990.
- While the initial completion target was set for 2019, Governor Sanwo-Olu has now committed to the beginning of construction by the end of the first quarter of 2024.
- In 2021, it was proposed that the project, estimated to cost around $2.5 billion, would be delivered through a public-private partnership initiative and tolled for two years.
- The latest timeline suggests that the Fourth Mainland Bridge is projected to be completed in 2027, marking a significant addition to the region’s infrastructure.
- Eight roads, including the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Igbogbo-Lagos, will align with the Fourth Mainland Bridge, contributing to an integrated transportation network.
- The bridge is strategically positioned to complement existing structures such as the Eko, Carter, and Third Mainland Bridges, playing a pivotal role in traffic reduction.
- Spanning approximately 37 kilometers, the Fourth Mainland Bridge will initiate from Abraham Adesanya in Ajah, along the Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe corridor, traversing the North West towards the Lagoon shoreline of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway via Owutu/Isawo in Ikorodu.