The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has said that Nigeria is planning to commit the sum of N270 Billion towards the rehabilitation of about 50 bridges across the country over three years period.
The minister, who spoke to news men in Lagos today after inspecting some roads and bridges under maintenance, said that many of the bridges in Lagos and across the country have suffered neglect as they have not been undergoing routine maintenance.
Fashola said that the current administration is determined to correct the trend and that it had begun the process of maintaining about 50 bridges across the country “if it receives the support of the legislature.
“Many of the bridges we built in the country over the last four, five decades have not been under any form of maintenance.”We now have a three-year plan affecting over 50 bridges across the country for maintenance, repairs and restoration. And it is going to cost about N270 billion over three years.
“Our plan is to start with about N70 to N100 billion in year one; starting with the very critical ones so that they do not collapse and then we move to the less critical ones.”
Fashola, who inspected Lagos Ring Road Bridge Abutment and Approach to the Third Mainland Bridge project today, said that some columns and beams of the Third Mainland Bridge were threatened because of human activities, sand filling and ecological factors which resulted in erosion.
“The work we have come to inspect was awarded some years back when there was an indication of some mis-alignments here on the Lagos Outer Ring Road which is the beginning of what leads on to the Third Mainland Bridge itself which is just about here.
“And it is being caused by erosion, sand filling and other activities. This road has moved as a result of some sub-soil displacement,’’ Fashola said.
He said that the project which was slowed down by lack of funds would be completed in November. [myad]
