By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Government has disclosed that the construction of Fourth Mainland Bridge which will commence in the first quarter of 2023, will gulp $2.5billion and will be delivered in four years.
The Special Adviser on Works to the state governor, Aramide Adeyoye disclosed this at a joint press 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 Messrs. MOTA-ENGIL (NIGERIA &AFRICA), CCCC & CRBC CONSORTIUM, are the reserved bidder for the project.
The Special Adviser also said a total of 52 bidders initially indicated interest in the project out of which 32 were responsive. She added that 15 out of the 32 showed further interest out of which six met the criteria and were later pruned down to three before the winner emerged.
She revealed that 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 that it will cost $2.5 billion.
He said the agreement is a 40-year plan for the concessionaire to operate and maintain the bridge as well as recoup investment on the project,
Adeyoye said the bridge will remove gridlock on the Carter, Eko and the Third mainland bridge and open up the state for future developments.
In the area of payment of compensation to owners of affected structures, Adeyoye said there is a framework for the payment, adding that all affected individuals will be adequately compensated whether they are property owners or tenants.