FG to replace Carter Bridge, reviews Kano–Katsina road contracts
By Kunle Sanni –
The Federal Government has approved major revisions to key road and bridge projects, including the Kano–Katsina highway and Lagos’s Carter and 3rd Mainland bridges, following Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, said the adjustments were necessary to reflect current economic realities and address urgent infrastructure concerns. The 152-kilometre Kano–Katsina highway, awarded under previous administrations, has undergone significant cost reviews.
The first section, measuring 74.1 kilometres, was awarded in 2013 for ₦14 billion, later revised to ₦24 billion, and has now been revalued at ₦68 billion, with ₦6 billion allocated in the 2024 budget and ₦34 billion in 2025. The second section, measuring 79.5 kilometres, was awarded in 2019 for ₦29 billion, later revised to ₦46 billion, and has now been adjusted to ₦66.1 billion, with ₦80 billion provided between 2024 and 2025.
On the 30.2-kilometre Iyin–Ilawe Road in Ekiti State, Umahi said work was ongoing on the first 10 kilometres. The remaining two sections, each 10.1 kilometres long, have been awarded at ₦16.8 billion and ₦17.3 billion respectively.
The minister disclosed that technical investigations on Carter Bridge and the 3rd Mainland Bridge in Lagos revealed severe underwater structural damage caused by erosion from illegal sand mining. Julius Berger, which carried out the inspections, recommended the complete replacement of Carter Bridge at an estimated cost of ₦359 billion. Financing talks have begun with a Dutch bank.
Similar deterioration was found on the 3rd Mainland Bridge, with full reconstruction projected to cost about ₦3.6 trillion. FEC approved the engagement of at least seven specialist contractors under EPC+F arrangements to conduct detailed investigations, design, and bidding for rehabilitation or complete reconstruction of both bridges. Public-Private Partnership bids will also be advertised to support the projects.
Beyond Lagos, FEC approvals include emergency interventions on failing bridges nationwide, such as the Jalingo Bridge in Taraba, the burnt Ido Bridge, Keffi Flyover, Mokwa Bridge in Niger, collapsed sections of the East–West Road bridges in Delta and Bayelsa, the Lagos–Ibadan corridor, and the near-split Itokin–Ikorodu Road.
Umahi said the emergency works will be consolidated and forwarded to the Minister of Finance for presidential approval.
