Lagos State Government has announced that no fewer than 800 buildings will be affected following the proposed 4^thMainland Bridge.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye, speaking at a joint news conference on Friday, said the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge is expected to be completed in 54 months, adding that 16 alignments were being considered.

She disclosed that structures to be affected and demolished to pave the way for the project had been pruned down from 2,000 to 800, with adequate compensation to be made.

Adeyoye also disclosed that the project, a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, would see the consortium tolling the bridge for 40 years before handing it over to the government.

The special adviser added that work on the bridge would begin in the first quarter of 2023.

Gbenga Omotoso, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, said those whose structures would be demolished would be duly compensated and that affected property owners should have no fear.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on PPP, Ope George, said CCECC-CRCCIG Consortium won the preferred bidder and would undertake the proposed construction of the Fourth Mainland Bridge.

George said the Fourth Mainland Bridge Project, a proposed Public Private Partnership (PPP) transport infrastructure development, would comprise the construction and operation of a greenfield tolled road and bridge with a design speed of 120km/h, including the development of adjacent real estate.

When completed, he added that the bridge would become the second longest in Africa with three toll plazas, nine interchanges, a 4.5km Lagoon Bridge and an eco-friendly environment.

He said the bridge was also expected to span about 37kilometres, 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.

His words, “You will recall that the Lagos State Government commenced a Competitive Bidding process for selecting a Concessionaire by issuing the Request for Expressions of Interest (REOI) on 27^thof November, 2019. A total of 52 responses were received, with 32 being responsive.

“Subsequently, a Request for Quotation (RFQ) was issued on 10^thFebruary 2020 to the 32 eligible applicants, and responses were received on 15^thApril 2020 with a total of 15 responses. Upon evaluation, six bidders met the criteria to progress to the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage.”

He restated that the bridge would reduce congestion on the existing Carter, Eko, and Third Mainland Bridges while opening new areas of the City for future developments.

George disclosed that the proposed 37km bridge is worth between $2.5 billion and $3 billion. (Saturday Tribune)