The Federal Government has revealed that stakeholders seem to have agreed that the Carter Bridge in Lagos State is beyond repair.
This was announced on Wednesday by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, during a thorough inspection of the bridge’s underdeck.
Umahi explained that the purpose of the visit was to evaluate whether any sections of the bridge, especially the ramps, could still be retained to help cut down on reconstruction costs and duration.
“What we did today is to see whether we can salvage the ramps so that we cut down the cost of construction and the time of construction,” Umahi explained.
The minister noted that while consultants and Julius Berger Plc had already submitted their reports on the bridge’s condition, further verification would be carried out using government instruments.
“If the observations sent to us are correct, it means that both the ramp and the main axial section of the Carter Bridge will have to go,” he said.
Umahi recalled that the original Carter Bridge was previously demolished with explosives, with remnants still submerged in the water. He stressed that any new work must take into account the removal of those remains to prevent disruptions to navigational activities.
The minister added that the Federal Government was also exploring whether any part of the existing structure could still be utilized, even as discussions leaned towards adopting a new alignment.
“The critical decision before us is this: since stakeholders seem united on the need for a new Carter Bridge, is there any component we can salvage and keep in use while adopting a new alignment?” he asked.
Umahi, however, clarified that the Federal Government had no intention of replacing the Third Mainland Bridge.
“The ministry is not considering the idea of constructing a new Third Mainland Bridge. We are committed to carrying out full rehabilitation works on the existing one,” he added.
