CARTER BRIDGE, ENVIRONS, BRIGHTLY LIT AS FASHOLA SWITCHES ON 166 PUBLIC LIGHTING POLES. DE FASH MAGAZINE Century old Carter Bridge, a major arterial road connecting Lagos Island with the Mainland and environs like Ijora Olopa, Iddo Terminus, Offin and Ebute Ero were on Sunday evening brightly lit as Lagos State Governor; Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) switched on 412 light fittings on the bridge aimed at improving security and encouraging human and vehicular traffic at night. The bridge, first built by the colonial government in 1901 and later rebuilt in 1973, had for many years been devoid of capacity traffic at nights because it was always dark and, therefore, considered unsafe by both motorists and pedestrians. But, in a brief but impressive ceremony performed atop the bridge, the old facility took on a new life as the 166 poles holding the lamps, 52 attachments on the poles to illuminate the walkways, 204 indicator lights and 48 blue reflective lights placed underneath the bridge as well as a lighting under the bridge that reflects the Lagos State colours on the water came alive dispelling the darkness instantly to the joy of residents and traders alike. In his brief remarks before switching on the lights, Governor Fashola said the lighting of the bridge was in consistency with his administration’s commitment to power facilities in transportation and housing adding that in the area of Power the administration has focused on traffic lights and street lighting. Governor Fashola, who noted that the lighting of the streets has improved security in the State and enabling people to move around safely at night, described the lighting of the Bridge as “a transport solution as well as a security solution. “The many significant impact of these street lightings is that it has improved security in the State making Lagos safer at night”, the Governor said adding, “On the Carter Bridge particularly, this is a transport solution as well as a security solution”. Hoping that the bridge would record capacity use now that it has been lit up, Governor Fashola declared, “It will increase their choices of getting in and out from the Island and onto the Mainland”, adding that the lighting of the bridge also had significant economic impact. “It is also significant because of the economic impact. All of the work that has been done here has been done by local capacity through; our Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and the agency, the Lagos State Electricity Board and the entire young engineers, technicians and fitters. So this has also created some economic impact locally”, he said. Making history as the first bridge in the country to have public lighting powered by an independent power project, the Carter Bridge project covers public lighting starting from the Idumota area to Ijora Olopa, Iddo Terminus and towards the Third Mainland Bridge, Adeniji, Ebute Ero and Ofin. In addition, the switch on ceremony for the Carter Bridge public lighting project marks the first public infrastructure facility to be powered by the Lagos State Independent Power Project (IPP) and forms part of the Island Power Expansion Project which will also include the connection of four general hospitals, 14 schools, two waterworks, one transfer loading station, two court facilities, two stadiums and 30 kilometre additional public lighting as well as Tinubu Square. Also present at the brief but significant event were the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba and his Energy and Mineral Resources, Works and Infrastructure and Commerce and Industry counterparts, Engineer Taofeek Tijani, Dr Femi Hamzat and Mrs. Sola Oworu respectively as well as the project engineers, technicians and other top government functionaries
Posted on: Mon, 01 Jul 2013 21:53:30 +0000
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