The Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the structural rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State will cost more than N3 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 N3.8 trillion, while a complete rebuild would cost about N3.6 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 N359 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.

Umahi also announced that the FEC had allocated N493 billion for two major infrastructure projects: the upgrade of the Kano–Katsina Road and the construction of a new Carter Bridge.

The 152-kilometre Kano–Katsina Road, previously split into two contracts, has seen significant cost revisions due to economic conditions.

Section One, initially awarded in 2013 for N14 billion and later revised to N24 billion, has now been updated to N68 billion. Section Two, awarded in 2019 for N29 billion and revised to N46 billion, will now cost N66.115 billion.

Umahi said N6 billion and N34 billion had been allocated in the 2024 and 2025 budgets, respectively, for Section One, while Section Two will receive N80 billion over the same period.

The minister emphasised that bridge and road infrastructure are key to economic growth and national connectivity.

He said the government would use the EPC+F model and PPP arrangements to reduce reliance on budgetary allocations for large-scale works.

“These are not projects that can be funded solely from the federal budget, given their magnitude,” Umahi said. “We are pursuing partnerships that will bring in private capital while ensuring that the government retains oversight and quality control.”

The Third Mainland and Carter bridges are part of Lagos’ main road network, carrying hundreds of thousands of vehicles daily.

Umahi stated that detailed studies and procurement processes for the Lagos bridge projects would commence immediately, with timelines contingent upon the signing of financing agreements. (The Guardian)