Femi Ashekun/
The Federal Government has said the Carter Bridge in Lagos State appears irredeemable, following a fresh inspection of its structural condition.
Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, disclosed this yesterday after leading a technical assessment of the bridge’s underdeck.
“What we did today is to see whether we can salvage the ramps so as to cut down the cost and time of construction,” Umahi explained. “We need consultants and Julius Berger to put forward their observations. We also have instruments to verify if those observations are correct. If they are, then it means both the ramp and the main axial section of the Carter Bridge will have to go.”
Umahi noted that the remnants of the old Carter Bridge, which was demolished with explosives years ago, are still in the water and would have to be factored into any reconstruction plan to avoid disrupting navigation.
According to him, government is exploring whether parts of the existing bridge can be salvaged for temporary use while an entirely new alignment is considered.
“The critical decision we have to take is this: since all stakeholders seem to agree that a new Carter Bridge should be constructed, is there any way we can repair something to keep in use while we work on a different alignment?” he said.
Umahi, however, ruled out suggestions that the Federal Government was planning to pull down the Third Mainland Bridge.
“The ministry is not buying the idea of a fresh Third Mainland Bridge. We will do everything possible to rehabilitate the bridge,” he stated.
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