The Federal Government has approved the complete demolition and reconstruction of the Carter Bridge in Lagos at a cost of N548.98 billion. The approval came after independent investigations confirmed that the iconic structure’s underwater piles and pile caps had deteriorated beyond repair. The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, announced the approval on Thursday after the Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja.
Umahi said the decision followed investigations conducted at multiple points in 2013, 2019 and again under the current administration through Julius Berger, all of which concluded that the bridge could not be saved. The minister said CCCC won the contract after a competitive bidding process that included Julius Berger, CCECC, CBC and China Harbour High Tech. He explained that the new bridge will be longer than the original, with the total length extended from 1.525km to 1.93km following the addition of a flyover ramp designed to eliminate a bottleneck that has long plagued traffic flow in the area.
The minister said all technical experts from across the country and internationally agreed that the Carter Bridge could not be repaired and must be completely demolished and rebuilt. Umahi noted that the underwater piles and pile caps had deteriorated at what he described as a geometrical progression.
Also Read: FEC Approves Demolition, Reconstruction of Carter Bridge
The new bridge will also feature a navigational waterway. The Carter Bridge is one of Lagos’s oldest and most historically significant bridges, serving as a critical link between Lagos Island and the mainland. The FEC also separately approved N24.89 billion for underwater elements of the Third Mainland Bridge.
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