Third Mainland Bridge
The recent declaration by the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi that the Federal Government has no plan to toll the rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge, seems to be generating ethnic tension as many Nigerians are asking why not, if every other long bridge is to be tolled.
Umahi, who also inaugurated the N40 billion CCTV Camera Centre recently had put what many tagged a very weak argument, explained that tolling would require additional construction that could impose static load on the bridge and create traffic bottlenecks due to its location within the city.
According to him, “We will not engage in construction on this bridge because it will entail static load on the structure. Being within the town, it will also introduce serious bottlenecks. That is why we are not tolling this bridge,” the minister said.
He added that security on the 11-kilometre bridge would be handled by the police, with an average response time of about five minutes.
However, Nigerians have started suspecting fear of President Tinubu, who is a Lagosian on the Minister’s decision to skip the bridge from tolling while others like the newly commissioned 2nd Niger Bridge, Niger bridge in Niger State and other bridges will be tolled.
A tolling expert said, “For the minister to claim that constructing a tolling wing on the 3rd mainland bridge will cause static weight is big lie because it is not a must that tolling facility must be on the bridge in the first instance. In fact, you need to build toll ahead of accessing the bridge and not on top of the bridge. That is one of the minister’s lies due to fearing Tinubu.
“Secondly, on the claim that it will cause traffic, there is nowhere in the world where tolling does not cause traffic because cars need to stop top pay tolls before accelerating further. So, if the Federal Government must toll any other bridge, 3rd mainland must follow.
“To me, the two reasons given by the minister are unacceptable and borne out of fear which cannot stand the test of time and integrity or ethnic bias.
Many Nigerians are of the view that it is either every long bridge is tolled including 3rd mainland or no bridge is tolled at all to avoid ethnic sentiments and protectionist politics
