The Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the Federal Government has mobilised contractor for the repair of underdeck and underwater damage of the Third Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge in Lagos.
According to him, construction giant, Messrs Julius Berger has been mobilised N7billion for the underwater repair of Carter Bridge and N6billion for that of Third Mainland Bridge.
Umahi said the under-deck and underwater rehabilitation works of Third Mainland Bridge required N21billion, while Carter Bridge will gulp N25billion, to restore their full integrity.
According to Umahi, the prompt repairs of the two bridges would make them complement the movement of all categories of vehicles, as only the Eko Bridge presently allows passage of heavy duty vehicles.
Umahi disclosed this in Lagos while on a tour of the project with the National Assembly’s Joint Committee on Works.
He said: “Looking at the infrastructure of the Federal Government. This afternoon,we look at the critical elements of the Third Mainland Bridge and Carter bridge. “Presently, only Eko Bridge is allowed to take vehicles, Carter and Third Mainland Bridges are not allowed because of some critical infrastructure challenges.
“We have three critical underwater challenges, one is the reflection of the slab, nothing to worry about. We are going to repair it like we did in Eko Bridge and it will stop deflecting.
“The second one is the deterioration of the piers, the pier caps and cover of pier caps. The iron rods are all exposed, and Julius Berger is already working on it. They have been mobilized about four weeks ago. The cost of the project is N21 billion.
“That of Carter Bridge is the same thing, and the cost is N25 billion.So we have mobilized Berger about seven days ago with N7billion and Third Mainland Bridge -N6billion.”
“The last element, which is the most critical, is what is happening below the water. The piles were installed through scale-friction method. The problems are caused by illegal mining of sand, underwater current and rusting of the steel casing,” the minister said.
He said that though government has attained successful completion of rehabilitation works on phase one of the Third Mainland Bridge, the underwater aspects of the project remains the most complicated and critical, adding that the underwater structural damage to the three bridges calls for concern.
Umahi is however optimistic that the Tinubu administration is equal to the task and will confront the challenges head-on.
Chairman Senate Committee on Works, Senator BarinadaMpigi and the Chairman House Committee on Works, Rt Hon. Akin Alabi, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency on the nation’s infrastructure, given the enormity of the challenges on ground.
The chairmen said the situation calls for thinking outside the box, adding that the financial requirements needed to fix the nation’s infrastructure is well beyond the capacity of annual appropriations.
The duo however assured that the National Assembly will do everything possible within the limits of the law to help fund the projects given their importance in the scheme of things in the nation’s commercial nerve centre.
Conducting the minister around different sections of the 3rd Mainland Bridge, the Carter and Eko Bridges, Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mrs. OlukoredeKesha, told the minister that the underwater damage to the three bridges is far more colossal than anyone could imagine.
Kesha also took the minister and members of his entourage to several sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, some sections of the Lagos- Ibadan Expressway among other federal projects in Lagos State.
