By GRACE ALEGBA

The Lagos State Government on Monday said a lot of work and planning had gone into the planning for proposed 4th Mainland Bridge, to ensure quality construction with minimum discomfort to residents around the project site.

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, said this at a stakeholders meeting on the Lagos 4th Mainland Bridge for Abraham Adesanya, 10 families, HFP and Ogombo communities.

At the meeting in Eti-Osa Local Government Area on the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of the proposed bridge, Adeyoye was represented by Mr Raheem Owokoniran, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Works and Infrastructure.

She said that contractors had moved to site to fix potholes in some of the corridors, urging members of the communities to support the government in its bid to make life better for the people.

“A lot of work has been done and this stakeholders meeting is necessary to get your input,” she said.

Adeyoye said that the proposed 38 kilometres 4th Mainland Bridge when completed would reduce congestion on roads in Lekki, as well as Badore, and would bring in investments to the axis.

She said that every idea, input and contributions from stakeholders would be taken into consideration.

A Director in the Ministry, Mr Tokunbo Ajanaku, said the generic alignment of the project was subject to readjustment, adding that the social and environmental impact on stakeholders was important to government.

Ajanaku said the government had been working, and planning the construction of the bridge since year 2000, and plans were in place to ensure speedy completion of the project based on recommendations made by the stakeholders.

“We must work together, what we have come here to do is to ask you to make our ideas better.

“In 20 years we have considered 16 options. It tells you that the 4th Mainland Bridge just like any project is a work in progress.

”It requires tinkering because we are studying and engaging with you, we would get it right, ” he said.

Ajanaku said that the government would open a virtual project information room to continue getting feedback from stakeholders on best environmental and social impacts assessment for the take-off of construction.

He said government had adopted measures to tackle issues of security, flooding and gridlock raised by the stakeholders.

The Project Consultant, Mr Kayode Oluwagbuyi, while presenting the brief on behalf of the

two contractors Sustainability Limited and Dar Al Handasar, said the project was conceived by the state government since twenty years ago in its master plan.

He said that approval had been gotten for the alignments and the project will start from Abraham Adesanya Roundabout in Lekki, and free flow into the existing Lekki-Epe Road.

Making a slide presentation, he explained how bridges, roads interlink various communities to impact their economies and social lives positively.

He said the project would have nine interchanges to boost interconnectivity.

Stakeholders at the event, urged the government to take care of the perennial flooding issues caused by the blockage of a canal at the Oke Ira axis, as well as take in to consideration traffic decongestion and time management.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure led her team to another venue to meet stakeholders at Okera Nla, Addo Road in the same council area.

The stakeholders praised the government for coming up with a design that reduced the number of houses to be demolished from 4,000 to 800.

The stakeholders, however, raised concerns of bad existing roads, flooding, gridlock and security which the Lagos State Government team took turns to proffer solutions to.

The government’s team assured that the construction of the 4th Mainland Bridge would be executed with minimal discomfort, and in consideration of the input of all stakeholders on the bridge alignment. (NAN)

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