The minister of works, Dave Umahi, says the construction of a new Carter Bridge in Lagos is now at the procurement stage.

Mr Umahi gave the assurance on Friday during the inauguration of the 47.474-kilometre Section One, Phase One of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway in Lagos.

He said the government reached the decision for a new bridge after carrying out technical assessments and engaging stakeholders.

“After empirical evaluation and meeting with stakeholders, the answer is that we have to build a new bridge.

“The procurement is coming, and people may wonder why we are surfacing it now. It is because I love Lagosians,” he said.

Mr Umahi said that the existing Carter Bridge is linked to the Iddo Bridge, which had earlier collapsed, adding that work was ongoing on that structure.

The minister also said work was progressing on the seventh axial road being handled by China Harbour Engineering Company at a cost of 266 million dollars, funded by China Exim Bank.

He added that the 184-kilometre Ife–Ibadan–Ilesha concrete road awarded to SPECC at N443 billion had achieved more than 20 per cent progress.

According to him, government has also reviewed the 256-kilometre Ilesha–Akure–Benin corridor and found it to be in poor condition.

“Who can do this work? Only the giants—Hitech Construction Company Ltd. We have co-opted them, and we have asked them to begin work.

“The total project is about N756 billion but it will be executed in phases,” he said.

Speaking on the Third Mainland Bridge, Mr Umahi said the ongoing repair works should not cause panic.

He said the bridge had been closed to heavy traffic and that extensive repairs were being carried out above the water.

He added that this was while procurement processes were ongoing for underwater rehabilitation to extend the bridge’s lifespan by another 50 years.

Mr Umahi said the four legacy projects of President Bola Tinubu’s administration would impact all parts of the country and that the government remained committed to completing them.

He added that the administration welcomed constructive criticism.

“We are human and bound to make mistakes, but our good is over 95 per cent. The economy is returning. God is on the throne,” he said.

On security, he said God was using the Tinubu-led administration to tackle the challenges, adding that the nation would overcome them. 

(NAN)