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Bridge repair paralyses Lagos traffic
Aug 5, 2020
The on-ramp to the Third Mainland Bridge has become the most coveted piece of real estate in Africa's biggest city -- at rush hour, it turns into a chokepoint that saps energy, frays nerves and drives up costs.
Cyril Oyenuga is clearly exhausted as he lifts a small towel wedged into the window to protect him from the sun.
"Yesterday I spent five hours in traffic jams. It's very tiring," he said. "But I don't have a choice. I have to work."
The Third Mainland is Africa's second-largest bridge, extending nearly 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) to link Lagos Island, the business heart of the city, with the mainland where most people live.
When it was built in 1990, Nigeria's economic engine had just six million residents.
Today, its population has more than tripled and the bridge is saturated, with tens of thousands of vehicles crossing each day.
Rumours about its safety and lack of maintenance have long been part of Lagos folklore, although the authorities steadfastly denied there was any risk.
But this year, with traffic somewhat thinner due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government made a surprise announcement: it would partially close the bridge for six months to carry out repairs and prevent its "total collapse".
- Lack of alternatives -
"If there had been another solution, we would have taken it," said Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola.
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