Located in Lagos, Nigeria, the Third Mainland Bridge, with a total length of 11.8 kilometers, is the longest in Nigeria and was the longest in Africa until 1996. Although the bridge’s official name is “Ibrahim Babangida Bridge,” it is rarely referred to as such.
It was built to cater to a rising need for infrastructure and to reduce traffic bottlenecks in Nigeria’s commercial hub, Lagos. Constructions like this were possible as Nigeria experienced a series of economic upturns following a period of rising oil prices after the end of Nigeria’s civil war in the 1970s.
Because of the high traffic it carries, it constantly needs to undergo renovation work. Julius Berger and a consortium comprising Impresit Girola, Borini Prono, and Trevi Group built the Third Mainland Bridge. The Ibrahim Babaginda administration opened it in 1990.
It is one of Nigeria’s most iconic and important infrastructures connecting people and communities to opportunities. Like the Sambang Ramp built by Dutum in Adamawa State, which links communities on either side to trade and other commercial opportunities.
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62 years of Project Nigeria: Episode 1
Episode 2: Outstanding women in the construction industry
Project Nigeria Episode 3: The first storey building in Nigeria
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Episode 5: 3 things to know about the Ancient Kano City Walls
Sir Herbert Macaulay: Nigeria’s first Civil Engineer
Episode 8: History of the Abuja National Mosque
Project Nigeria Episode 9: The First Seaport in Nigeria
An overview of Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport
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Episode 12: The story of the River Niger Bridge Anambra
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