Nigeria?s federal government is considering the construction of an entirely new bridge to connect Lagos Island to the mainland as a lasting solution to the growing structural threats facing Carter and Third Mainland bridges.

Minister of Works, David Umahi, made this disclosure during a press conference on Friday, during his inspection tour of critical federal road and bridge projects across the South-West.

According to Umahi, extensive underwater investigations have revealed ?major structural defects? beneath both Carter and Third Mainland ? two of the state?s most vital road links. He described the situation as ?terrible,? citing decades of neglect, illegal sand mining, river undercurrents, and natural aging of the infrastructure.

?You now see the exposure of the rods and they are rusting. Over the years, you have scouring of the river, undercurrent of the river, you have illegal sand mining, you have unmaintained infrastructure. So we have a very terrible situation. Some of the piers are pulled out of the hips or out of the pile caps. That?s a very serious structural problem.?

While acknowledging recent surface rehabilitation works completed under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the Third Mainland Bridge, Umahi warned that the internal damage to the support columns ? which carry the beams and deck ? could pose long-term safety risks if left unaddressed.

As a precautionary measure, heavy traffic has already been restricted on the Third Mainland Bridge.

The minister revealed that Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, which conducted a technical investigation of the Carter Bridge, has recommended its complete demolition and reconstruction.

He said, ?From the report of Julius Berger and from the underwater investigation, we have major defects that would need urgent attention. So what Berger recommended and also corroborated by many other experts is that the Carter bridge should be carted away. There?s nothing to redeem from it. It should be thrown away and a new one constructed.

?That?s the proposal I?ve made. They?ve quoted about 390 billion (naira) for the repair of the Carter bridge and they give about 50 years guarantee that it will be sustainable. But then, to do a road bridge which will increase navigation because the span will be increased, is going to cost about 320 billion (naira).?

Other contractors like Buildwell, have offered partial rehabilitation options estimated at about ?150 billion, but Umahi said such fixes would not provide the ?healing that we desire.?

He said, ?That of Berger will give us a comprehensive healing and then sustain the bridge for the next 50 years. But that is very expensive.?

To address the funding challenge, the Federal Government is exploring Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), especially for the Carter Bridge replacement. Umahi noted that international financiers are more inclined to support the construction of a new bridge than to fund rehabilitation works.

Berger says if it?s a new bridge, international funders are ready to fund it. But if it is a rehabilitation, they are not ready to fund it. But can we get PPP people who can also stake their funds to do this Carter Bridge and then toll it?

?We are also looking at a way, since this Carter Bridge is parallel to the Third Mainland bridge, is there any way we can construct something that is multiple carriageway to take care of two of them because whatever we do in repair of Carter bridge or Third Mainland bridge, notwithstanding the huge amount, it is still going to be very temporal in the sense that it?s not going to last. But going forward, we are working and designing all our bridges to have a lifespan of 100 years and that?s what we?re doing.? (AriseNews TV)

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