The Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the structural rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State will cost more than ₦3 trillion
Speaking after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, Umahi said underwater and structural assessments of the bridge revealed severe damage caused by illegal sand mining, erosion, and corrosion to its piles and piers.
“The rehabilitation is estimated at ₦3.8 trillion, while a complete rebuild would cost about ₦3.6 trillion,” the minister said. “We have approval for at least seven specialist contractors to carry out detailed investigations, designs and bids for both rehabilitation and new construction under an EPC+F [Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing] arrangement.”
The minister said the findings were similar to those from earlier studies on the Carter Bridge, also in Lagos, which was found to be beyond repair. Umahi said contractor Julius Berger had recommended its full replacement, estimated to cost ₦359 billion.
Under the approvals granted by the FEC, the government will advertise for public-private partnership bids to undertake the projects, while exploring funding discussions with international lenders, including Deutsche Bank.
The Third Mainland Bridge, inaugurated in 1990, is Nigeria’s longest bridge and a critical transport link for Lagos’ estimated 20 million residents. Its structural issues have been the subject of periodic maintenance works over the years, but Umahi said recent inspections showed more extensive damage than previously recorded.
“The underwater problems are compounded by decades of neglect and human activities that have undermined the bridge’s substructure,” he said.
“We cannot delay. If we decide on rehabilitation, it will require huge resources and specialised engineering. If we opt for a new build, it is slightly less costly but still a massive undertaking.”
In addition to the Lagos bridges, Umahi said FEC approved interventions for several other damaged bridges across the country, including the Jalingo Bridge in Taraba State, the Ido Bridge (damaged by fire), Keffi Flyover in Nasarawa State, Mokwa Bridge in Niger State, a bridge on the Abuja–Kogi route, bridges on the Lagos–Ibadan corridor hit by vehicles, the Jebba Bridge in Kwara State, and the Itokin–Ikorodu Bridge in Lagos.
“These emergency works will be documented and forwarded to the President for approval through the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
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