The Federal Government has announced a shift from rehabilitation to full-scale reconstruction of key infrastructure, including the aging Carter Bridge and the burnt Iddo Bridge, following structural evaluations that revealed major safety concerns.
The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, made this known during a news briefing after the inspection of the Bridges and Lagos -Calabar Coastal Highway
Speaking about Carter Bridge, Mr Umahi said Julius Berger, contracted in 2024, was currently working on repairing the substructure above the water, including pile caps and handrails.
He said underwater inspections had revealed severe damages beneath the bridge, suggesting it had reached the end of its service life.
The Minister called for Public Private Partnership, PPP, for funding of both rehabilitation and full reconstruction as it remained the most sustainable option, which will ease the burden on scarce resources of government.
In his response, the South West Regional Manager of the construction company, Mr Thomas Christl, said the contractor had proposed two options extensive repairs or complete replacement with a new bridge.
Mr Christl also said the organisation recommended building a new bridge, noting it would offer a one hundred-year design life and the cost about the same as major repairs.
On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, the Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi says it has given priority to service lane construction and strategic interchanges to ease traffic and enhance connectivity on the Project when completed.
Addressing concerns about proposed tolling, Mr Umahi, emphasized that road maintenance requires private sector participation, given the destructive behavior of some road users and the need for 24 hours security and surveillance infrastructure.
The Minister defended the toll plan as necessary for sustainability, noting that it is better for Nigerians to pay a token for safe, well-maintained roads than suffer damage and insecurity on dilapidated routes.
Mr Umahi stated that the project is currently ahead of schedule, with three-shift, round-the-clock construction enabling 30 kilometers of completed work within a year, supported by fully deployed personnel and equipments every five kilometers.
The Minister condemned
vandalism of road features like cat eyes and bridge parapets, urging shared responsibility in safeguarding infrastructure that not only improves GDP but also uplifts public morale and safety.
Coastal Highway Funding
The Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, has said he refrained from discussing project financing to avoid offending international financial institutions, but several road projects like Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Akwanga, have attracted overwhelming interest from global funders, with Section 1 already oversubscribed by 70% loan financing.
The Minister noted that international funders were impressed by the quality and scale of ongoing works, even declaring the project undervalued, describing it as a strong endorsement of its viability.
He clarified that while 30 kilometers have been completed, a remaining seventeen point four seven kilometers is under intense construction, and public access will remain restricted until full connectivity is achieved to prevent unsafe township-level traffic.
Mr Umahi explained that tolling decisions, particularly for bridges, woukd be determined by the President, factoring in whether to use public funds or Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), while warning about the engineering risks of static loads caused by toll queues on bridges.
Addressing concerns over unapproved changes on the Coastal Road, the Minister insisted that no variations have been authorized and reiterated that all contracts, including those for Carter and Third Mainland Bridges, are being executed strictly as agreed.
Minister Rallies Support for Tinubu 2027 Presidency
Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, has praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for overcoming pre-election challenges, declaring his victory as divinely ordained.
Addressing newsmen in Lagos, Mr Umahi, who was former Governor of Ebonyi state and Senator, emphasized that President Tinubu’s administration has delivered significant infrastructural projects in the Southeast, including the Trans-Saharan project and major road rehabilitation, which previous governments failed to complete.
Reacting to the idea of blind opposition, he challenged critics to present tangible alternatives and track records, asserting that talk is cheap.
He defended the President’s non-vindictive leadership style and expressed confidence that all Southeast governors, regardless of party lines, would support President Tinubu in 2027.
Mr Umahi who called for political unity, warned against divisive rhetoric that could harm the South East region’s development, declaring that the Southeast now has a voice at the center and should not jeopardize it.
Reporting by Abiola Peters