Minister of Works, David Umahi, says the rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos will require N3.6 trillion due to structural issues affecting its underwater components.
Speaking at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Umahi said the massive cost underscores the scale of work needed to restore the 11.8-kilometre bridge.
The minister also disclosed that FEC approved N493 billion for two other major projects — N359 billion to rebuild Lagos’ Carter Bridge, which has been declared irreparable following structural damage, and N134 billion to upgrade the 152-kilometre Kano–Katsina Road.
He explained that the cost of the Kano–Katsina project increased due to prevailing economic conditions.
Barely a week earlier, the Federal Government ordered the closure of the Third Mainland Bridge to heavy-duty vehicles. “Among other emergency jobs that you’ve been seeing in Lagos, we are having a very deep conversation on the Third Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge,” Umahi said.
In March, the government had announced that rehabilitating the Third Mainland and Carter bridges would cost N21 billion and N25 billion respectively — far lower than the current projections.