Ayodele Olalere
The proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge to be constructed by the Lagos State government will cost $2.5billion, according to the Special Adviser on Works to Lagos State governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Engineer Aramide Adeyoye.
Adeyoye made the disclosure on Friday at a joint briefing organised by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure and the Office of the Public-Private Partnership, OPPP to announce the preferred bidder for the project.
She said CCECC-CRCCIG Consortium won the bid for the project while MOTA-ENGIL emerged as the reserved bidder.
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The Special Adviser also said a total of 52 bidders initially indicated interest in the project out of which 32 were responsive. Fifteen out of the 32 showed further interest out of which six met the criteria and were later pruned down to three before the winner was later chosen.
She, however, said 800 structures will be affected by the construction of the 37km bridge which starts from Abraham Adesanya, Ajah, in Eti-Osa local government and terminates on Lagos -Ibadan expressway passing through Owutu/Isawo, Ikorodu and some parts of Ogun State territories.
Adeyoye said the bridge will have three toll plazas, nine interchanges, adding the funding is a partnership between the state government and the construction company and will cost $2.5 billion.
She explained that the agreement is a 40-year plan for the concessionaire to operate and maintain the bridge as well as recoup investment on the project, while its construction will commence in the first quarter of 2023 and be completed in four years.
She said the fourth mainland bridge will remove gridlock on the Carter, Eko and the third mainland bridge and open up the state for future developments.
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In the area of payment of compensation to owners of affected structures, Adeyoye said there is a framework for the payment and assured that all affected individuals will be adequately compensated.
She urged Lagosians to have trust in the administration of governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to deliver on its developmental promises.
The Special Adviser to the governor in the Office of Public Private Partnership, OPPP, Ope George, said choosing the preferred bidder was a daunting task, adding the bidding process took 1,129 days after it was opened in 2019 when the present administration came on board.
He added the bridge, when completed, will be one of the legacy projects of Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration.