NIGERIA: LAGOS' THIRD MAINLAND BRIDGE CLOSURE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 000321 SIPDIS STATE PASS USTR FOR AGAMA STATE PASS USAID FOR NFREEMAN, GBERTOLIN STATE PASS EXIM FOR JRICHTER STATE PASS OPIC FOR ZHAN, MSTUCKART, JEDWARDS STATE PASS TDA FOR LFITTS, PMARIN DOC FOR 3317/ITA/OA/KBURRESS DOC FOR 3310/USFC/OIO/ANESA/DHARRIS DOJ FOR MARIE-FLORE KOUAME TREASURY FOR RHALL, DPETERS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELTN ECON PGOV NI SUBJECT: NIGERIA: LAGOS' THIRD MAINLAND BRIDGE CLOSURE ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The partial closure of the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge, the arterial road between the city's commercial islands and the mainland, will last from early August to October, severely disrupting already congested traffic. The Federal Government and the Lagos State Government's (LASG) wrangling over the closure date resulted in public confusion and a lack of readily available transportation alternatives. Commute times for local employees of ConGen Lagos have risen dramatically, but so far operations have not been disrupted. Official travelers to Lagos should consider the impact of significantly worsen traffic on meeting and travel schedules. End Summary. Third Mainland Bridge: Lagos' Commercial Lifeline -------------- -------------- ¶2. (U) On August 2, contractors began repairs on the Third Mainland Bridge (TMB),one of three bridges that connect the Lagos' business districts on Ikoyi and Victoria Island with the mainland. The 12 kilometer, four-lane TMB, completed in the late 1980's, is the longest and most heavily used of the three bridges and is the primary route from the commercial islands to Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport and the ports. During repairs, one half of the TMB will be open for one way traffic flow into the islands between midnight to noon and in the reverse direction for the remaining time. Repair work is scheduled to last until early October 2008. Rehabilitation Due to Lack of Maintenance -------------- ¶3. (SBU) Tunde Ekunsumi, Federal Controller of Works for Lagos, Ministry of Transportation, told EconOff and FacMaintOff on August 3 that a lack of maintenance on the TMB over the last ten years necessitated the rehabilitation. In the last two years, extensive vibration, uneven pavement surface, and shifting bridge pillars have been observed and expansion joints have suffered damage. The Ministry has hired the bridge's original construction contractor Inco Consultant Milano along with the Borini Prono construction company to rehabilitate the TMB. Lagos State Plays Politics, �00A;Unprepared for Closure -------------- ¶4. (SBU) News media announced the TMB's two-months closure in the weeks leading up to July 18, but the Federal Ministry of Transportation (MOT) postponed the closure to August 2 after the Lagos State Government (LASG) objected to the July 18 closure, citing the lack of a comprehensive alternative arrangement for commuters. Ekunsumi dismissed that claim saying the dispute between MOT and LASG was purely political, implying it was a debate over control of infrastructure projects in the state, and that LASG had been fully aware of the rehabilitation timetable for over a year. (Note: ConGen Lagos first heard of the Bridge's closure July 9. End Note) ¶5. (U) Idowu Ajanaku, Chief Press Secretary for the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, told Econoff that the state has reacted by adding 50 buses to its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network and plans to add another 50 buses to the fleet in two weeks time, bringing the total to 200 buses. By the second week of the closure, there are plans for a 30 boat ferry system to operate on a 24 hours basis from the portside on the mainland to the islands. (Note: Where and how the LASG will find 30 seaworthy ferry boats in two weeks time is unclear. End Note) Some roads currently closed due to rehabilitation will be temporarily opened as alternative routes. Walking the Bridge -------------- ¶6. (U) FacMaintOff and EconOff conducted a site visit of the bridge on August 3, with Federal Controller Ekunsumi, noting equipment and construction materials installed along the side of the bridge. Bridge lighting was available for the portion of the bridge undergoing rehabilitation, but the rest of the bridge was dark (Note: This is not unusual given Nigeria's unreliable power grid. On LAGOS 00000321 002 OF 002 the night before the closure, Ekunsumi found the entire bridge unlit and ordered 2,000 liters of diesel to fuel the generators for the section of the bridge undergoing rehabilitation. End Note) The Managing Director of the primary repair contractor said rain, which prevents the casting of cement, could delay completion of the project. Lagos' rainy season typically runs through August. An Opportunity to Make a Little on the Side -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Not surprisingly, a project of this scale has already seen its share of graft. Ekunsumi told EconOff and FacMaintOff that the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC),the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA),and the police force asked for Naira 30 million to assist with traffic control. Ekunsumi negotiated the price down to Naira 10 million, built the money into the budget as a contractor cost, and asked the contractor to disseminate the money to the three agencies. Policemen were reportedly charging motorists Naira 100 (USD 0.85) to use the diversion route on the first day of the closure. Switch-Off Schedule Ineffective -------------- ¶8. (U) EconSpec noted confusion in the coordination of traffic flow over the first two working days of the bridge closure. According to EconSpec, on the first day island-bound traffic was slower than normal, and buses stopped along the bridge to pick up commuters, compounding the congestion, and adding two extra hours to her commute. In general, ConGen Lagos Locally Employed Staff (LES) have arrived at work on time, but commute times have increased from 30 minutes to two hours on top of already long commutes. Some LES have expressed concerns over safety and security due to the early morning departure. The Regional Security Office has not received reports of security incidents. ¶9. (U) On the days leading up to the closure, EconOffs observed a mini run on the banks, with Lagosians rushing to the banks to withdraw money in case they could not access banking services over the following few days or weeks. Companies based on Lagos islands reportedly adopted contingency measures, from putting essential employees up in hotels on the islands to providing shuttling services and to allowing alternative work schedule or working from home. ¶10. (SBU) Comment: The untimely, if not surprise, announcement of the TMB's closure, the lack of an advanced comprehensive plan for alternative transportation modes, and the absence of a study on the social and economic impacts of the closure are, unfortunately, not a surprise. Despite Ekunsumi's resolve to complete the project on time, the job appears to be too big a task for one man. All USG visitors to Lagos should consider that traveling to and through Lagos for meetings, which is never easy under the best of circumstance, will be significantly more difficult over the next several months. End Comment. Blair