06/05/2026
OFFICE OF THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF WORKS
PRESS RELEASE
UMAHI HANDS OVER NEW CARTER BRIDGE PROJECT TO CCECC, TO SHUT DOWN ONE CARRIAGEWAY OF EKO BRIDGE ON SUNDAY
The Federal Government has officially handed over the construction of a brand-new Carter Bridge in Lagos to China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to protecting critical infrastructure and ensuring the safety of Nigerians.
The event took place at Carter Bridge, Lagos Island, Lagos State, on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, the Honourable Minister of Works, Senator Engr. David Umahi, CON, said the decision to reconstruct the bridge became necessary after years of alarming structural investig*tions revealed worsening defects beneath both the Carter Bridge and the 3rd Mainland Bridge.
According to the Minister, investig*tions into the underwater structural elements of the bridges began as far back as 2013, with another assessment carried out in 2019. The reports, he said, showed that the defects were increasing at what experts described as “geometrical progression.”
“The past administration commissioned investig*tion 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,” Umahi stated.
He explained that upon assumption of office, the present administration immediately engaged geologists and specialist divers to conduct further underwater investig*tions, which confirmed that some piles supporting the bridges had already shifted from their pile caps.
“It’s just like the hip of the leg is cut off,” the Minister explained while describing the severity of the damage.
Umahi said extensive consultations were held with bridge experts, stakeholders and members of the National Assembly, including foreign professionals, to determine the best solution.
