LAGOS: 795 houses to give way for Fourth Mainland Bridge

THE Federal and Lagos State governments, on Thursday, disclosed that  about 795 houses might be demolished to pave the way for the construction of the 37-kilometres Fourth Mainland Bridge.

They noted that a lot of efforts were made to reduce the number of affected houses from the initial 9,000 to 795.

This was revealed at the Environmental Social Impact Assessment Stakeholders’ Scoping Workshop on the project in Lagos.

Minister of the Environment, Mamoud Abubakar, who was represented by a director in the ministry, James Kolawole, urged the Lagos State Government to make sincere efforts towards compensating the affected families.

“There is an alignment that should affect about 9,000 structures along the corridor, but we have reviewed it and gone for the alignment that will affect about 795 houses instead of the one that will take more houses.

“It is an ongoing thing on how best to minimise the negative impact,” the minister stated.

He said the bridge would boost the state’s economic growth and enhance international trade.

Speaking on  the significance of the bridge to Lagosians and the country as a whole, Abayomi Amos, a townplanner stressed that the bridge will connect Lagos and Ogun states.

Amos who spoke on behalf of the state Ministry of town planning and Urban Development added that the bridge will link the Abraham Adesanya Estate area in Lagos and Sparklight Estate near the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Aramide Adeyoye, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant, Raheem Owokoniran, said Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration was committed to taking the state to greater heights in terms of infrastructure development and putting adequate facilities in place.