One Year After Termination, Lagos Set to Award Fourth Mainland Bridge Contract
Completes 450 road projects under three years
Gboyega Akinsanmi
The Lagos State Government has initiated the process of signing a concession agreement with a preferred bidder to construct the Fourth Mainland Bridge, noting that it will announce its decision sometimes in June.
The state government disclosed that three bidders had been selected about one year after it terminated a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) it entered with a consortium of firm to construct the 38-kilometre infrastructure.
The Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Adebowale Akinsanya, made the disclosure at a news conference he addressed at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa yesterday, noting that the preferred bidder would be announced in June.
The conference, which was addressed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Kehinde Bamigbetan, among top functionaries of the state, was organised to commemorate the third anniversary of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
Ambode had on May 25, 2016, signed a concession agreement with consortium of domestic and foreign firms to construct the 4th Mainland Bridge with a length of 38 kilometres at a whopping cost of N844 billion.
The consortium comprised Visible Asset Limited, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc., Hi-tech Construction Limited, J.P. Morgan, Eldorado Nigeria Limited, Nigerian Westminster Dredging and Marine, Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Access Bank.
After the concession agreement was signed, an Advance Engineering Consultant, Mr. Ger Horgan put the actual cost of the bridge at N790 billion, though the 10year follow-up programme for structural pavement between 2018 and 2033 would gulp N5 billion.
On May 22, 2017, however, the state government announced its decision to terminate the MoU it entered with a consortium of firm to construct the Fourth Mainland Bridge at N844 billion.
At the conference yesterday, Akinsanya disclosed that the state government was at the last stage of selection of a preferred bidder for the iconic project, which was designed to provide alternative route for commuters and residents to enter and exit Lekki and Victoria Island.
He said: “In the last one year, the state received a series of proposals from prospective partners. As head of the technical committee, we look at technical proposals submitted by the bidders. After the exercise, we ended up shortlisting three bidders.
“After that, the finance and technical committee met to check bids submitted. Presently, we are at the last stage of interview session,” the commissioner added.
He added that the bidders “will be directed to submit further information, basically to convince representative of the government. By June, we will announce prefer bidder for the project. The reason we embark on this rigorous exercise was to ensure that appropriate partner is selected for the project.
“This project is priority to Ambode. Before end of the year, work on the Fourth Mainland Bridge will commence. We are on last phase of selection,” he said.
On other projects, Akinsanya said it had completed the construction and rehabilitation of 450 major roads and 50 other impactful projects in the last three years to make life comfortable and build a sustainable environment for residents and visitors.
Aside the completed projects, the commissioner said several others were at various stages of completion and would contribute to the vision to make Lagos emerge as Africa’s model smart city and global economic and financial hub.