FG APPROVES ₦548.98BN TO DEMOLISH AND REBUILD CARTER BRIDGE, CCCC WINS CONTRACT

Philip
6 hours ago
2 min read

*Century-old Lagos bridge beyond repair; new structure to extend to 1.93km; Third Mainland Bridge gets ₦24.89bn*

The Federal Government has approved the complete demolition and reconstruction of Carter Bridge in Lagos at a cost of ₦548.98 billion, after a decade of independent structural assessments unanimously concluded that the century-old crossing could not be repaired.

Works Minister Dave Umahi announced the approval Thursday after the Federal Executive Council meeting chaired by President Tinubu. Umahi said structural investigations conducted in 2013, 2019, and again under the current administration through Julius Berger all reached the same conclusion: the bridge's underwater piles and pile caps had deteriorated at "geometrical progression" and were irretrievably beyond repair.

The contract was awarded to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation following a competitive bidding process that included Julius Berger, CCECC, CBC, and China Harbour High Tech. The new structure will be longer than the original, extended from 1.525 kilometres to 1.93 kilometres following the addition of a flyover ramp designed to eliminate the longstanding traffic bottleneck at the bridge's approach. The navigational waterway will be expanded to two channels of 105 metres each to improve marine movement under the bridge.

"We've gone through rigorous procurement and design. We have increased the project to 1.93 kilometres because we added a flyover ramp, so that the bottleneck that is usually there will no longer exist. The total contract sum approved is ₦548.98 billion," Umahi said.

In a related approval, FEC cleared ₦24.89 billion for underwater rehabilitation works on the Third Mainland Bridge, to be handled by Julius Berger, ahead of commissioning targets tied to President Tinubu's third anniversary in office on May 29.

Carter Bridge, connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, is one of the oldest transport links in the city and a critical artery for commerce across the Lagos Lagoon.