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The Federal Government has disclosed that stakeholders appear to have reached a consensus that the Carter Bridge in Lagos State can no longer be salvaged.
Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, stated this on Wednesday during an extensive inspection of the bridge’s underdeck.
Umahi said the visit was aimed at assessing whether parts of the bridge, particularly its ramps, could be preserved in order to reduce both construction costs and timelines.
“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.
