FIC REPORT (LAGOS STATE) – The Federal Government says it is working to complete the reconstruction of the carter Bridge in lagos within 24 months, instead of the 36 months initially schedulled for the project.
The minister of works, Sen. Dave Umahi, disclosed this while inspecting the ongoing reconstruction of the carter bridge and the Idolo bridge in lagos.
Umahi said the federal Government was accelerating work on the bridge because of its importance to traffic movement in lagos.
He said the federal Government was therefore carrying out regular monitoring and maintenance of the existing structure until the new bridge was completed.
Umahi also said the federal Government was applying similar measures to the third mainland bridge adding that, the intervention was designed to extend it’s lifespan by another 50 years.
He expressed confidence that, the new carter bridge would last for more than 100 years because of the additional engineering features being introduced.
The minister commended the contractor for the progress made so far and thanked members of the National assembly for their support.
Earlier, the federal controller of works in lagos, Olufemi Dare, told the minister that, the contractor had mobilised to site and was constructing access roads.
He said the contractors yard had also been estabilished while pilling work was expected to commence soon.
Dare also brief the minister on the progress of work on the Iddo bridge.
He said three spans of the bridge spans; 13, 14. and 15 had failed completely and had been replaced.
Dare said other components of the Iddo bridge project were also progressing, with drainage and continuously reinforced concrete pavement( CRCP) works about 90 percent completed.
He exoressed confidence that, the Iddo bridge intervention became necessary after illegal actions and a fire damaged the spans of the bridge.
He said the area underneath the bridge had been occupied illegally, with people selling chemicals and other goods, while a fire eventually destroyed the three spans.
He emohasised that, the original headroom under the bridge was about 4.6 metres, which was below the 5.6 metre standard required for such structures.
However, he explained that, the federal Government had raised the headroom to 6.5 metres to prevent trucks from repeatedly hitting the bridge.
Umahi noted that, the new design involves the use of steel beams constructed to channel water from depusced section of the road into the lagoon.
The minister said the completed section would be opened to traffic after the concret attain the required strenght, after which work would commence on the other carriage way.
The minister was accompanied on the inspection by members of the national assembly incuding the chairman house commitee on works, Mr. Akpan Alabi and Minister of state on works; Sen. Mohammed Goronyo.
Senator Allwell Onyesoh, who spoke during the inspection, described the reconstruction of Carter bridge as timely, noting that Lagos experienced significant population growth size to the bridge originally constructed.
Onyesoh said the National Assembly would support measures necessary for the successful completion of the project.
Juliet Chinyere Ujowundu
Asst . Dir . & PR
25 / 08 / 2026 .
