The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has disclosed that about N12bn is required for immediate intervention to prevent the Eko Bridge in Lagos State from collapsing.
Umahi said the emergency funding request had already been forwarded through the appropriate channels and that he would meet President Bola Ahmed Tinubu next week to seek the release of intervention funds.
A statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to Umahi, Francis Nwaze, quoted him speaking during an inspection of ongoing federal road and bridge projects in Lagos.
The minister said the emergency works form part of a broader plan to restore the bridge and address years of structural deterioration caused by illegal activities and heavy usage.
“The immediate intervention is going to cost about N12 billion. We’ve sent it to PPP, and by next week I’ll be going to see Mr President for intervention funds to restore that bridge,” he said.
He explained that the government is pursuing both immediate and long-term engineering solutions to rehabilitate the bridge and ensure its structural integrity.
According to Umahi, ongoing underwater repairs, replacement of bridge bearings and other critical rehabilitation works are already being executed under an existing contract valued at about N18bn.
“Some of the bearings and underwater works in that Eko Bridge are about N18bn. It’s an ongoing contract, and so we needed to intervene immediately so that Eko Bridge would not collapse,” he added.
The minister noted that rehabilitation work on the bridge is progressing steadily, with the ministry adopting T-beam technology instead of conventional concrete beams to speed up construction while maintaining safety and quality standards.
He said every stage of the reconstruction would be closely supervised to ensure strict compliance with engineering designs and approved construction methods.
Umahi expressed optimism that the rehabilitation of Eko Bridge would be completed before the end of the year.
The minister announced that future bridge projects under the Federal Ministry of Works would adopt a minimum headroom clearance of 6.5 metres to accommodate larger vehicles and improve the lifespan of bridge infrastructure.
Umahi blamed part of the damage to the Eko Bridge on illegal trading activities beneath the structure, which previously caused a fire incident, as well as repeated collisions involving over-height trucks and illegal sand dredging around the bridge.
He directed the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos to establish a task force to stop illegal occupation beneath bridges and prevent abandoned trucks from parking on bridge structures.
Umahi also confirmed that mobilisation for the construction of the new Carter Bridge would begin this month, while physical construction is expected to commence next week.
According to him, the new Carter Bridge will feature two 105-metre navigation spans and a modern cable-supported bridge design to improve water transportation and meet international engineering standards.
(The Whistler)
