By LYDIA CHIGOZIE-NGWAKWE

Total rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State cost N43 billion while the bridge’s Closed Circuit Television Camera (CCTV) Centre cost about N2.5 billion.

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, made this known on Monday in Lagos while addressing journalists.

Umahi said that the scope of work covered total rehabilitation of 14km by 14 metres width by two carriageways.

“It also includes rebuilding and repainting of some concrete works and replacing expansion joints and putting solar lights.”

He said that establishment of the CCTV centre was part of the Third Mainland Bridge rehabilitation contract.

“The total contract sum for rehabilitation of the bridge is N43 billion.

“The cost of the CCTV centre is not more than N2.5 billion,” he said.

He emphasised that the CCTV centre did not cost N40 billion as reported in some quarters.

Inaugurating the CCTV centre on Sunday, Umahi had said that the current administration met a terrible Third Mainland Bridge.

“When we came on board in 2023, we met a very terrible Third Mainland Bridge, Carter Bridge and Iddo Bridge both on the pavement, surface, infrastructure above the water and even infrastructure below the water.

“The president, therefore, directed total re-evaluation and rehabilitation of the surfaces of the Third Mainland Bridge and changing the expansion joints.”

According to the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Olufemi Dare, the CCTV centre is the first of its kind in Nigeria.

“We have a boat that has been bought for surveillance of the bridge. There are two Hilux vans, too.

“We have 240 solar panels in this environment. The whole place is fully air-conditioned. We have 10 inverters inside the building.

“We have a transformer, a 300KVA transformer. We have a standby generating plant and monitoring screens,” he said. (NAN)