Trending 
Nigeria has approved 548.98 billion naira for the complete demolition and reconstruction of the Carter Bridge in Lagos, following investigations that confirmed the iconic structure’s underwater piles and pile caps had deteriorated beyond repair.
Works Minister Dave Umahi disclosed the approval on Thursday after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
“We convocated a stakeholders’ engagement, and all the technical experts all over the country, and even internationally, all agreed that we could not redeem Carter Bridge, and it has to be completely demolished and rebuilt,” Umahi said.
He revealed that independent investigations carried out in 2013, 2019, and again under the current administration through Julius Berger all reached the same conclusion: the bridge could not be saved.
The underwater piles and pile caps, he said, had deteriorated at a “geometrical progression,” making demolition and full reconstruction the only viable option.
The contract was awarded to CCCC following a competitive tender that included Julius Berger, CCECC, CBC, and China Harbour High Tech.
Umahi said the redesigned bridge will be longer than the original, stretching from 1.525 kilometres to 1.93 kilometres and a new flyover ramp has been added to eliminate the chronic bottleneck that has long troubled commuters in the area.
“We’ve gone through rigorous procurement and design. The initial total length of that bridge was 1.525 kilometres, with three lanes, dualised. We have now increased the project to 1.93 kilometres because we increased a flyover ramp, so that the bottleneck that is usually there will no longer exist. The total contract sum approved is N548.98bn,” Umahi said.
The minister also stated that a 105-by-2 navigational waterway will be part of the new bridge.
The council also approved 24.89 billion naira for underwater repairs on the Third Mainland Bridge, to be executed by Julius Berger. That project is among those scheduled for commissioning ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s third anniversary in office on May 29.
