Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has raised alarm over the state of the Third Mainland Bridge, warning that the 11.8km structure may soon require either full rehabilitation or complete reconstruction.

Speaking after a recent Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Umahi revealed that fixing the bridge could gulp ₦3.8 trillion, while rebuilding it from scratch might cost ₦3.6 trillion.

According to him, underwater structural defects have made urgent intervention inevitable. “We are having a very deep conversation on the Third Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge,” Umahi said.

The minister also disclosed that the FEC approved ₦493 billion for two other key projects — ₦359 billion for the reconstruction of Lagos’ Carter Bridge and ₦134 billion for the 152km Kano–Katsina Road. He explained that the Carter Bridge was declared beyond repair due to severe structural damage, while the cost of the Kano–Katsina Road rose in response to prevailing economic conditions.

Just last week, the Federal Government barred heavy-duty vehicles from using the Third Mainland Bridge as a precautionary measure.

This comes months after earlier estimates had pegged rehabilitation costs for the Third Mainland and Carter bridges at ₦21 billion and ₦25 billion respectively, a sharp contrast to the current figures.