FG approves N548.98bn for Carter Bridge demolition and reconstruction

• FG has approved the full demolition and reconstruction of Lagos’ Carter Bridge at a cost of N548.98 billion.

• Engineers and multiple studies concluded the bridge is beyond repair, citing severe structural and underwater deterioration.

• The new bridge will be longer, expanded to reduce bottlenecks, and built under a competitive contract awarded to CCCC.

The Federal Government has approved the complete demolition and reconstruction of the Carter Bridge in Lagos, ending decades of patch repairs on a structure that engineers say has deteriorated beyond saving.

Minister of Works David Umahi announced the approval following Thursday's Federal Executive Council meeting, confirming that the iconic bridge connecting Lagos Island to the mainland will be brought down entirely and rebuilt at a total contract cost of N548.98 billion.

The decision was not made lightly. Sources say independent investigations conducted at three separate points in 2013, 2019, and again under the current administration through Julius Berger, all arrived at the same conclusion: the bridge cannot be saved.

"We convened a stakeholders' engagement, and all the technical experts all over the country, and even internationally, all agreed that we could not redeem Carter Bridge, and it has to be completely demolished and rebuilt," Umahi said.

The minister explained that the bridge's underwater piles and pile caps had deteriorated at what he described as a "geometrical progression," making full reconstruction the only viable path forward.

The contract was awarded to CCCC following a competitive bidding process that included Julius Berger, CCECC, CBC, and China Harbour High Tech.

The new structure will be significantly larger than what currently stands. The bridge's total length will increase from 1.525 kilometres to 1.93 kilometres, with the addition of a flyover ramp specifically designed to address the notorious bottleneck that has frustrated commuters in the area for years.

"We've gone through rigorous procurement and design. The initial total length of that bridge was 1.525 kilometres, with three lanes, dualised. We have now increased the project to 1.93 kilometres because we increased a flyover ramp, so that the bottleneck that is usually there will no longer exist. The total contract sum approved is N548.98bn," Umahi said.

The new bridge will also feature a navigational waterway measuring 105 metres by two.

In a separate approval at the same FEC meeting, N24.89 billion was approved for underwater elements of the Third Mainland Bridge, to be handled by Julius Berger, as part of a broader set of projects being readied for commissioning ahead of President Bola Tinubu's third anniversary in office on May 29.

Carter Bridge is one of Lagos's oldest and most historically significant structures. Named after Gilbert Carter, a former British governor of Lagos Colony, the bridge has served as a critical artery across Lagos Lagoon for decades.

Its decline has been attributed to a combination of age, heavy traffic load, and the corrosive effects of its saltwater environment on its foundational infrastructure.

For Lagos commuters, the demolition signals the beginning of something better.

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