Wetin dey do Third Mainland Bridge and why e go cost 3.6 trillion naira to repair
Wia dis foto come from, OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP via Getty Images
Nigerians still dey wonder how govment wan spend 3.6 trillion naira to repair 3rd Mainland Bridge.
Minister of Works for Nigeria, David Umahi, tok say Third Mainland Bridge go chop at least 3.6 trillion naira to repair.
Dis na sake of di problems wey di bridge don get from di structures wey dey underwater.
David Umahi tok say sake of di urgency of di mata, im carry di mata go di recent Federal Executive Council [FEC] wey President Bola Tinubu lead for Aso, Rock.
Di FEC approve a total of 493 billion naira for two ogbonge projects. Di projects na to build new Carter Bridge for 359 billion naira and to upgrade di Kano-Katsina bridge to 152 kilometres for 134 billion naira.
For Third Mainland Bridge for Lagos, southwest Nigeria, oga Umahi tok say dem no go fit repair am sake of structural damage. Im add say di price to repair am cost well-well.
Why Carter Bridge go chop 359 billion naira
Di Minister of works tok say for 2019 dem bin do one study to show wetin dey happun under di water of Third Mainland Bridge and di Carter Bridge. Di pipo wey bin do di study discover say plenti problems dey.
Dem bin install di piers [columns] in a technical term of skin friction becos dem no go fit discover rock. Skin friction na method wey dem dey use secure di piers and under di aggregate of di piers na dia di piers cap dey, so dem discover say dis piers wey sand dey hold don wash away sake of illegal mining of sand and ocean current.
Im explain say for 2019, dem do anoda study and dem discover say di piers don spoil well-well, some dey rust due to chlorine wey dey inside di water and dem dey lose sand well-well.
Di Minister tok say na President Bola Tinubu bin give directive make dem chook eyes for how dem go take repair di Third Mainland Bridge.
Umahi say dem don resurface am by 11.8 kilometres by 16 lanes. Im add say dem also chook eye for wetin dey happun under di deck above di water.
"We bin give di contract to Julius Berger, Ido Bridge, Carter Bridge and Third Mainland Bridge at a contract sum of 65 billion and dia job na to repair all di piers wey don rust. Dem go also chook eye for di pier caps kon treat am sake of say dem dey exposed and e dey rust badly.
Im add say wen dem bin dey do dis one, dem add am for dia contract to also chook eye for di 2013 and 2019 underwater investigation wey be part of dia contract.
According to di Minister, Julius Berger tell am say dem need to close Carter Bridge sharp sharp sake of traffic and di bridge dey beyond repair, dem gatz construct new one.
"Dem give us a cost of about 308 somtin billion to repair am and e no dey realistic and di one wey dey realistic na 359 billion for brand new bridge and dem discuss wit Dutch bank to fund am."
'Nobody submit proposal for Third Mainland Bridge but e go chop 3.8 trillion' - David Umahi
For di Third Mainland Bridge, Oga Umahi explain say nobody submit any proposal, but na di same underwater problems wey Carter bridge dey face na im Third Mainland Bridge dey also face.
"Wen we bin do a pro rata [na process wey dem go use di proportional cost of part of di work take compare to di whole work] for di part wey we go repair, e reach 3.8 trillion and if we go do new construction na 3.6 trillion."
Im say dem go meet FEC to give dem approval to not less dan seven specialist contractors to do comprehensive investigation, design and bidding to reconstruct and to build new ones or to repair dem.
Im say di third request na to advertise for Public, Private, Partnership [PPP].
"We bin submit memo and di title of di memo na di Approval for Constructive Engagement on di Rehabilitation or Construction of New Carter and Third Mainland Bridge for Lagos State," im explain.
Oda bridges wey need repairs for Nigeria
Di former govnor of Ebonyi State say no be only Carter and Third Mainland bridges need urgent work.
Im confam say oda bridges dey wey no dey okay across di kontri and dem need sharp-sharp attention too.
"I bin draw di attention of di Federal Executive Council [FEC] to di fact say we go intervene on some construction of new bridges and emergencies for a number of bridges across di nation."
Some of di bridges wey need wok include:
- Jimeta Bridge for Adamawa State wey we don already complete.
- Mutame Bridge for Kogi State wey still dey go on.
- Jebba Bridge for Niger State.
- Gashua Bridge for Yobe State.
- Eko and Marine Bridge for Lagos State.
- Bibi Bridge for Taraba.
- Artisan Bridge for Enugu.
- Apowa Bridge for Ebonyi.
- Opobo Bridge for Rivers.
- Baro Bridge for Niger.
- Buruku Bridge for Benue.
- And bridges wey don collapse along di East-West road wey include two for Delta State and one for Bayelsa State.
