The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi has urged the National Assembly to impose a state of emergency on Lagos State’s Third Mainland and Carter Bridges on Friday.
Umahi highlighted the necessity for lawmakers to act quickly and provide the bridges extra care in order to stop their degradation, as they require specialized underwater repairs.
The state of emergency would facilitate expedited repairs of the bridges and stave off potential disasters, the minister declared during a facility tour of key infrastructural projects in Lagos State.
On the facility tour were members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Works who were on joint oversight functions in Lagos State.
He says that only the Second Mainland Bridge (Eko Bridge) was allowed to take heavy vehicles for now as the Third Mainland and Carter Bridges faced critical infrastructural challenges.
“We have critical underwater challenges on the Third Mainland Bridge. The first is the deflection of the slab, which is nothing to worry about as we shall repair it as we did on Eko Bridge, and it will stop deflecting.
“The second one is the deterioration of the piers; the pier caps and the pier cap covers. The contractor is already mobilised about four weeks ago and is working on it.
“Cost of rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge is estimated at N21 billion,’’ he said.
The minister also noted that the Carter Bridge was faced with the same challenges.
In his remarks, Chairman, Joint National Assembly Committee on Works, Sen. Barinada Mpigi, corroborated Umahi’s observations and called for the support of the National Assembly.
