Minister of Works, David Umahi, has disclosed that restoring the structural integrity of Lagos State’s Third Mainland Bridge could cost around ₦3.6 trillion, warning that significant underwater deterioration poses a threat to Nigeria’s busiest bridge.
Speaking to journalists after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting in Abuja, Umahi explained that fresh inspections revealed serious damage to the bridge’s supporting piles and piers, largely caused by illegal sand mining, erosion, and corrosion.
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He noted that the projected cost for rehabilitation has now risen to ₦3.8 trillion, while constructing an entirely new bridge would be marginally cheaper at about ₦3.6 trillion.
“We have approval for at least seven specialist contractors to carry out detailed investigations, designs, and bids for both rehabilitation and new construction under an EPC+F [Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Financing] arrangement,” the minister said.
Umahi, the immediate past Governor of Ebonyi state said the findings echoed previous assessments of Lagos’ Carter Bridge, which engineering firm Julius Berger had declared beyond repair, recommending its replacement at an estimated ₦359 billion.
As part of the FEC resolutions, the government plans to advertise public-private partnership (PPP) opportunities for the projects and engage international financiers, including Deutsche Bank, for funding support.
“The underwater problems are compounded by decades of neglect and human activities that have undermined the bridge’s foundations,” he said. “We cannot delay. Whether we rehabilitate or rebuild, the resources and engineering expertise required will be enormous.”
The minister added that the FEC had also approved urgent repairs on other damaged bridges nationwide, including the Jalingo Bridge in Taraba State, Ido Bridge (damaged by fire), Keffi Flyover in Nasarawa State, Mokwa Bridge in Niger State, a bridge along the Abuja–Kogi road, multiple bridges on the Lagos–Ibadan corridor hit by vehicles, the Jebba Bridge in Kwara State, and the Itokin–Ikorodu Bridge in Lagos.
“These emergency works will be documented and forwarded to the President for approval through the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
Opened in 1990, the Third Mainland Bridge remains Nigeria’s longest bridge and a vital transport artery for Lagos’ roughly 20 million residents.
While it has seen occasional maintenance over the years, Umahi stressed that the latest inspections revealed substructure damage far beyond earlier reports.
