Federal Government Orders Emergency Eko Bridge Closure, Begins Carter Bridge Reconstruction

The Federal Government has ordered the emergency closure of one carriageway of Eko Bridge in Lagos while simultaneously handing over the reconstruction of Carter Bridge to a contractor, marking a major twin intervention on two of the city’s oldest and busiest bridges. The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, announced both decisions on Wednesday during a site handover ceremony at Carter Bridge, Lagos Island.

The Eko Bridge carriageway will be shut from midnight on Sunday, 10th May 2026, following severe structural damage caused by illegal sand mining activities. Umahi explained that illegal dredgers struck one of the bridge’s pile caps with a barge, causing catastrophic damage to supporting piles beneath the structure. “When they knocked the pile cap, they broke three piles. And when they were trying to remove the barge, they broke another two,” the minister disclosed.

The minister said the damaged section poses a significant risk to motorists and residents, necessitating the complete shutdown of that carriageway while the unaffected side remains open to traffic. “We will not allow people to endanger their lives. We are a responsible administration,” Umahi stated, adding that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been fully briefed and directed that the matter be treated as an emergency.

The emergency repair solution involves lifting an entire span of the affected section to expose the pier and pier cap for proper structural repairs. Buildwell Construction Company and specialist divers will conduct a detailed investigation to determine the full extent of the damage, with the minister directing that this assessment be completed within ten days. “The solutions will now be as follows: On the section that have been cut off, there will be piling. We are going to do additional piling around the pie cap and cast a new pie cap and then strengthen the pie cap and replace the damaged piles,” Umahi explained.

The minister also apologised to Lagosians for the disruption, noting that the government is solving problems it did not create. “I want to apologise to Lagosians. We are solving problems we didn’t create. When we came on board, some sections of Eko Bridge were totally burned down because people were staying under the bridge selling chemicals and all sorts of wares, and they set fire, and it was burnt down,” he said.

On the Carter Bridge reconstruction, the Federal Government formally handed over the project to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) in a ceremony attended by lawmakers and government officials. The decision to reconstruct rather than repair the bridge followed years of alarming structural investigations. Umahi revealed that underwater investigations first conducted in 2013 and repeated in 2019 showed worsening defects beneath the bridge. “The past administration commissioned investigation of what was happening with the structural elements below the water, and that was in 2013. And the very disturbing defects were noticed in Carter Bridge and 3rd Mainland Bridge,” he said.

Upon assumption of office, the current administration engaged geologists and specialist divers for further underwater assessments, which confirmed that some piles supporting the bridge had shifted from their pile caps. “It’s just like the hip of the leg is cut off,” the minister said while describing the severity of the damage. Extensive consultations were held with local and foreign bridge experts, stakeholders, and lawmakers before the government resolved to construct an entirely new bridge. According to the minister, repairing the existing Carter Bridge would cost almost twice the amount required to build a new structure.

Part of the new Carter Bridge will feature a cable-stayed design aimed at improving navigation and enhancing the aesthetics of Lagos. “That is why we chose two spans, 105m span by two, and that will house the cable bridge. Nigerians will like it very much,” Umahi said. The main body of the bridge will measure 2.1 kilometres by two carriageways, accompanied by 1.5 kilometres of ramps measuring 9.3 metres in width.

The project has a timeline of 36 months. Umahi explained that the contract followed a competitive bidding process: seven companies were invited, six submitted bids including Julius Berger, and CCECC emerged as the most technically and commercially viable candidate. “The CCECC was technically and commercially most viable. And that’s why the BPP recommended them and the Federal Executive Council awarded the project to them,” he stated.

The project is valued at approximately N545 billion, with 30 per cent of the cost to be paid by the Federal Government while 70 per cent will be sourced externally through borrowing. The minister directed CCECC to immediately mobilise to the site and assured Nigerians that the Ministry of Works would closely monitor the project monthly to ensure compliance with technical and safety standards.

Representing Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the event, Senator Ngwu Osita commended the Federal Government for prioritising strategic infrastructure projects and described the reconstruction as vital to the economic life of Lagos and the nation. Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Akin Alabi, also praised the intervention, saying the reconstruction would help address longstanding structural and traffic concerns associated with the bridge.

Umahi also disclosed that the Federal Government was planning rehabilitation works on the Third Mainland Bridge following concerns over deteriorating structural components. “We have invited an external expert who will reconfirm about six investigations already done, and that is ongoing now. He is going to design how we are going to strengthen the pies that are deteriorated, pies that have been removed from the pie caps, and then we will come up with a cost on how to repair the Third Mainland Bridge,” the minister said.

The minister called on Nigerians to appreciate the infrastructure development and other efforts of the Tinubu administration, saying, “We are solving problems we didn’t create, but that’s why you voted for us, and that we are going to be working day and night.”