FG to complete reconstruction of Carter Bridge in 24 months

The Federal Government is working to complete the reconstruction of the Carter Bridge in Lagos within 24 months instead of the 36 months initially scheduled for the project.

The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, disclosed this on Monday while inspecting the reconstruction of Carter and Iddo bridges.

The minister was accompanied by the Minister of State for Works, Senator Mohammed Goronyo, and some  members of the National Assembly, including the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi.

Umahi said the Federal Government was accelerating work on the bridge because of its importance to  movement of vehicles in Lagos.

He said the bridge, which is about 1.58km long, had remained in use for more than 60 years with inadequate maintenance, leading to serious structural problems.

He said: “Carter Bridge has stayed for over 60 to 70 years with no maintenance.

“The lifespan of every bridge is about 50 years.

“And what we found out from the underwater survey is that a lot of the piles had detached from the pile caps.

“It is like having the leg removed from the hip. 

“There was also a lot of rust within the piles, while scouring and illegal sand mining contributed to the failure of the bridge.”

The minister said the government had completed the new design for the bridge and introduced features that would improve traffic flow and protect the structure from future damage.

According to him, the new bridge will have additional ramps to reduce congestion, while one carriageway will be constructed above the other.

He said a cable-stayed section would also be introduced to provide adequate clearance for navigation.

Umahi said: “Carter Bridge is 1.58km but you are going to see aesthetics, engineering, and innovation.

“We are going to be flying one carriageway over the other, increasing the number of ramps to decongest traffic towards the ramp sections.

“We are also having a cable bridge to contain the 105 spans for navigational activities. 

“It is going to be beautiful.”

Umahi said the contractor, China Civil Engineering Construction company (CCECC), had completed about 15 percent of preparatory work, including acquiring the project yard and constructing access roads.

According to the minister, piling is expected to commence before the end of the week.

He said the government was also introducing additional protective measures, including gabions, to protect the bridge foundations from erosion and scouring.

He said that Carter Bridge could not be closed completely during the reconstruction because of its importance to vehicular movement.

He said the Federal Government would therefore carry out regular monitoring and maintenance of the existing structure until completion of the new bridge.

He said: “If we close Carter Bridge, Lagos will go into katakata (chaos). 

“That is why we are maintaining it while the reconstruction is going on.”

Umahi also said the Federal Government was applying similar measures on the Third Mainland Bridge, adding that the intervention was designed to extend its lifespan by another 50 years.