By Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
The Federal Government has raised concerns about the safety of the waterways between Carter Bridge and Eko Bridge in Lagos. Minister of Works Engineer Nweze David Umahi sounded the alarm after inspecting the damage caused by a capsized ship to underwater bridge supports.
Umahi called for urgent action. “Let me appeal to the Governor of Lagos State to please enforce that the waterways between Carter Bridge and the Eko Bridge be closed because the dredger that hit the pile caps and the piles tumbled and they got sunk,” he said. “So, what is safe is for that section of the waterways to be closed down. And so, I’m alerting all the authorities of the navy, the Lagos State Government to be proactive as they have always been. This section of the waterway needs to be closed down immediately.”
He highlighted the dangers of dredging. “The dredging of sand along seas and rivers is very dangerous because all the piles in Lagos State were executed through skin friction, which means that it is the sand that is holding the piles and holding the bridge,” Umahi explained. He noted surveillance efforts at the Third Mainland Bridge, saying, “We have installed a camera to observe what is going on top and also under the bridge. And so, we’re going to be looking at that for the bridges in Lagos even though it’s quite a lot of cost.”
Plus, he addressed ongoing repairs. “We have inspected the 3rd Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge handled by Julius Berger to know what is happening below the deck, and we are satisfied with the work they’re doing,” he said. “I can say that the work on the 3rd Mainland Bridge is about 50 per cent completed, and that of Carter Bridge is about 70 per cent completed.” He explained why big trucks are barred from the Third Mainland Bridge due to slab deflection, with plans for a new design review in Germany.
Umahi also visited the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project by Hitech Construction. At Chainage 13, he praised President Tinubu’s infrastructure focus. “The president’s bold decision to invest on infrastructure at the time of economic challenges shows his practical political will to transform economic limitations to possibilities,” he said. He touted the project’s benefits, including tourism and foreign investment with a 2.5% loan, adding, “We’re going to have a relief station along the corridor where we will have supermarkets, small clinics, towing vans, parking lots for cars and trucks and so on and so forth.”
He debunked a false claim. “The claim by one Mrs Ifeoma that she invested over $215 million on her land on the right of way at Chainage 18 of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway” is misleading, Umahi said, noting only a gate was removed there. He urged Nigerians to support the Renewed Hope Agenda’s road revolution for the public good.