The Federal Government has formally handed over the reconstruction of the aging Carter Bridge to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) as part of efforts to strengthen critical infrastructure and improve public safety in Lagos.
The handover ceremony took place on Wednesday at Lagos Island, where government officials outlined the urgent need for the massive infrastructure intervention.
Minister of Works David Umahi said the decision to build a new bridge followed years of alarming engineering reports that revealed worsening structural problems beneath both the Carter Bridge and the Third Mainland Bridge.
According to the minister, the first underwater investigation of the bridges was carried out in 2013, while another assessment followed in 2019.
He explained that experts discovered progressive structural defects affecting key underwater support components of the bridges.
“The past administration commissioned an investigation of what was happening with the structural elements below the water, and that was in 2013. And the very disturbing defects were noticed in Carter Bridge and 3rd Mainland Bridge,” Umahi said through a statement issued by his aide, Francis Nwaze.
Umahi disclosed that after the current administration assumed office, specialist divers and geologists were invited to conduct further technical studies on the bridges.
The findings, he said, confirmed that some of the bridge piles had shifted from their original support positions, creating a serious structural threat.
“It’s just like the hip of the leg is cut off,” the minister explained while describing the extent of the damage.
The former governor of Ebonyi State noted that extensive consultations were held with local and international bridge experts, lawmakers, and other stakeholders before the government decided on full reconstruction.
According to him, engineers concluded that repairing the Carter Bridge would cost nearly twice the amount required to construct a new one.
Umahi also disclosed that part of the new bridge would feature a modern cable-stayed design aimed at improving maritime navigation and enhancing the visual appeal of Lagos.
“We decided that a section of this Carter Bridge will be a cable bridge. You see the cable bridge we see overseas, very beautiful, and that is to enhance our navigational activities,” he said.
The minister stated that the reconstruction project is expected to last 36 months.
He praised President Bola Tinubu for what he described as bold leadership and commitment to revamping critical national infrastructure.
Umahi explained that the contract award followed due process, noting that seven construction firms were invited to bid for the project while six eventually submitted proposals, including Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
“The CCECC was technically and commercially most viable. And that’s why the BPP recommended them, and the Federal Executive Council has awarded the project to them,” he stated.
He directed the contractor to immediately mobilise to the project site and assured Nigerians that the ministry would conduct monthly inspections to ensure strict compliance with safety and engineering standards.
The N545 billion project would be financed through a combination of Federal Government counterpart funding and external borrowing. Government officials disclosed that 30 per cent of the funding would come directly from the Federal Government, while the remaining 70 per cent would be sourced externally.
Meanwhile, the minister announced the emergency closure of one carriageway of the Eko Bridge following severe structural damage allegedly caused by illegal sand dredging activities around the bridge.
Umahi said illegal miners struck one of the bridge’s pile caps with a barge, damaging critical support structures beneath the bridge.
“When they knocked the pile cap, they broke three piles. And when they were trying to remove the barge, they broke another two,” he explained.
According to the minister, the damage has already caused visible cracks and weakened parts of the bridge, creating serious safety concerns for motorists and residents.
As a precautionary measure, he directed that one carriageway of the bridge be shut down from midnight on Sunday, May 10, 2026, while the unaffected section remains open for traffic.
“We will not allow people to endanger their lives. We are a responsible administration,” Umahi stated.
He added that the Federal Government had already designed emergency repair measures, including lifting an entire section of the bridge to expose the damaged components underneath for repairs.
Umahi said Buildwell Construction, a company experienced in bridge lifting operations on Eko Bridge, would handle the emergency repair work alongside specialist underwater investigators.
The minister assured Lagos residents that President Tinubu had been fully briefed on the development and had directed immediate action to address the situation.
