The Federal Government has proposed N341 billion for the emergency repair of roads and bridges across the country.
The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, disclosed this while briefing members of the National Assembly Joint Committee on Works on the repair status of the Third Mainland and Carter bridges on Saturday.
The minister, along with the legislators, toured the Third Mainland and Carter bridges, both located in Lagos State.
Umahi stated that repairing the bridges would help prevent potential hazards.
He further explained that while N341 billion has been proposed for road and bridge repairs nationwide in 2025, this amount may fall short given the severity of the damage.
“We have proposed that N341 billion will be needed. We don’t know how much this is going to cost.
” If we are to rebuild these bridges, even N30 trillion will not do it; so, a stitch in time saves nine. This is very important.
“Let me report that Julius Berger had been doing a very beautiful work until they encountered this situation.
“We are putting heads together with them. We are also consulting internationally to see what the solution will be.
“It is important that the National Assembly bears in mind that we have problems, there are no problems that cannot be surmounted but problems should not be overlooked,” Umahi said.
In addition, the minister praised President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to infrastructure development.
Umahi called for urgent intervention on the bridges.
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On their part, the National Assembly team assured that an urgent public engagement would be organized to address the state of Nigerian roads.
- The team was led by the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Sen. Peter Nwebonyi.
- Other members included the Minority Whip of the Senate, Sen. Osita Ngwu, Sen. Mpigi Barinada, and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Rep. Akin Alabi.
- The lawmakers expressed regret over the lack of a maintenance plan following road construction or rehabilitation.
- They noted that the bridges have remained in poor condition for decades after their construction due to the absence of a maintenance plan.
The lawmakers commended the minister for his efforts in addressing the country’s infrastructure needs.
- They emphasized the need for allocating a “condition survey” budget for all bridges to ensure regular maintenance and prevent further damage.
- The engineers responsible for maintaining and repairing the bridges presented various strategies to ensure safety.
The strategies include the installation of temporary built-up steel support installation, reconstructing capping beam, casting of guard wall installation, and steel cage installation.
