Lagos, Nigeria – The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the demolition and reconstruction of Carter Bridge in Lagos State, with N5.6 billion (approximately $3.58 million) allocated for advanced engineering consultants to carry out the design and costing for the project.
Okay News reports that Minister of Works Dave Umahi disclosed the development after the FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. He explained that technical assessments had shown the structure could no longer be rehabilitated due to severe underwater damage, corroded piles, and detached caps, making demolition and reconstruction the most viable option.
The council also approved several major road and bridge projects across the country, including the completion of the Suleja–Minna Road project awarded to China Geo-Engineering Corporation at N91 billion. The council approved the review of the 132-kilometre Kano–Kongolam Road, redesigned as a three-lane concrete carriageway with solar-powered streetlights at an estimated N334 billion. The reconstruction of the Abuja–Lokoja Road at N146 billion, the Ibadan–Ife–Ilesa Road at N427 billion, and the second phase of the Keffi–Nasarawa–Abaji Road at N203 billion were also approved.
Umahi noted that a new bridge could last over 100 years and still cost less than the planned rehabilitation, with Julius Berger having previously completed 80 percent of above-water repairs before investigations uncovered the extent of underwater damage. This infrastructure approval marks a significant investment in Lagos’ critical transport network and broader national connectivity.
