Federal Government has reopened the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos which had been under rehabilitation since July 2019, amid jubilation by road users and invasion by hoodlums.

Workmen began early in the morning to clear the bridge of debris and removed crash barriers from the site and put finishing touches to asphalt laying on some sections before the main opening with spectators watching.

Supervising the reopening, Director, Highway Bridges and Design, Emmanuel Adeoye, said work on the surface of the bridge had been completed but additional work would continue underneath.

Adeoye said several expansion joints, bearings were fixed.

He said bridge maintenance unit of the Federal Ministry of Works would continue to carry out periodic maintenance subsequently and check components of the bridge.

He said the work under the bridge would be completed between the next six months to one year.

The Federal Controller of Works Lagos, Olukayode Popoola thanked Lagos residents for their understanding and patience during the rehabilitation works.

Popoola explained challenges which slowed down construction to include the COVID-19 and the EndSARS protests which made the contractor lose some time.

Popoola also thanked other ministries and agencies of the state government as well as various engineering professional bodies who made great contributions towards the success of the project.

The reopening of the bridge was conducted with only traffic regulatory agencies present on site with no Police in sight.

Hoodlums who initially extorted motorcycles using the bridge engaged in a free-for-all-fight at the end of the opening ceremony making journalists and engineers to scamper for safety.

However, the first motorists to use the bridge cheered the engineers with some of them shouting out loud “God bless you, progress, one love”.

The repair expected to last six months was extended by one month due to the recent #EndSARS protests in Lagos extending the completion date from January 2021 to February.

The construction was initially divided into two phases of three months on each carriageway, starting with the Oworonsoki bound carriageway whose completion dragged to four months.

Traffic was partially diverted on a stretch of 3.5km where construction is ongoing between Adeniji Adeniji Ramp and Ebute Meta, while different time belts were allotted for traffic diversions on the bridge.

The 11.8km bridge is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Mainland.

The bridge starts from Oworonshoki, which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island.

Constructed in 1990, the bridge was adjudged as the longest in Africa until 1996 when the Oct. 6 Bridge in Cairo, Egypt was completed.