Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has disclosed that rehabilitating Lagos’ Third Mainland Bridge will cost about ₦3.8 trillion, while complete reconstruction would require ₦3.6 trillion.
Speaking after a Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Umahi said the bridge’s underwater structures are severely compromised, making urgent repairs or rebuilding unavoidable.
The council also approved ₦493 billion for two other major projects — ₦359 billion for the total reconstruction of the 11.8-kilometre Carter Bridge, which has been declared beyond repair due to structural damage, and ₦134 billion for upgrading the 152 km Kano–Katsina Road. He noted that the latter’s cost increase was driven by economic factors.
Last week, the Federal Government banned heavy-duty vehicles from the Third Mainland Bridge as a safety measure. “Among other emergency works ongoing in Lagos, we are in deep discussions on both the Third Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge,” Umahi added.
Earlier this year, the government had pegged rehabilitation costs for the Third Mainland and Carter bridges at ₦21 billion and ₦25 billion respectively — figures that have now skyrocketed due to more extensive damage assessments.
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