The Federal Government has ruled out any plan to toll the rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has said.
Umahi made the clarification on Sunday while responding to questions from journalists after inaugurating the N40 billion Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) Camera Centre on the bridge.
According to the minister, tolling the bridge would require additional construction, which could impose a static load on the structure and create traffic bottlenecks due to its location within the city.
“We will not engage in construction on this bridge because it will entail static load on the bridge. It is also within the town, so it will introduce many bottlenecks. That is why we are not tolling this bridge,” Umahi said.
He explained that security on the 11-kilometre bridge would be handled by the Nigeria Police, adding that the newly inaugurated CCTV facility would ensure a rapid response time of about five minutes to incidents on the bridge.
“We are allowing the police to do the needful,” he stated.
Umahi also noted that emergency support infrastructure, including a tow van and an ambulance, would be stationed on the bridge to respond promptly to accidents or breakdowns.
He said the administration of President Bola Tinubu remains committed to improving the ease of movement and overall quality of life for Nigerians.
“We want life to be very smooth and sweet for Nigerians; that is what President Bola Tinubu stands for. That is the reason God brought him in spite of all the challenges,” the minister added.