A concept  Three bids have been shortlisted by the government of Lagos State to build the Fourth Mainland Bridge, a 38km link between Lagos city and Lagos island that presently has a budget of $2.5bn.

It is intended to relieve severe congestion on the Third Mainland Bridge, which runs along the western side of the lagoon.

Ope George, who advises the governor of Lagos State on public-private partnerships, revealed the state of the contest at a press conference on Saturday.

Further details were tweeted by Jubril Gawat, a senior spokesperson for the Lagos state governor.

In the running is a consortium made up of China Communications (CCCC), its subsidiary China Road and Bridge, and Portuguese contractor Mota-Engil, in which CCCC holds a 32% stake.

They are up against a consortium led by China Civil Engineering Construction and China Railway Construction Investment Group, and a joint venture between a Wuhan-based China Gezhouba Group and Beijing-based China Geo-Engineering Corporation.

The project, which was designed by Nigerian consultant NLÉ Works, is being procured as a public-private partnership. When complete it will take the form of two four-lane roads complete with three toll plazas and nine interchanges.

When complete, it will be the longest bridge in Africa, with a maximum speed of 120 km/h.

Gawat said a preferred bidder would be chosen by representatives from Lagos State Government, the federal Ministry of Works and the project advisers.

An announcement is expected before the end of the year.