3rd mainland bridge maintenance to cost N4billion – Finance Minister

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The 3rd mainland bridge in Lagos linking the central business district in the Island and the mainland undergoing rehabilitation and maintenance will gulp the federal government the sum of N4 billion.

In a disclosure made by the Minister of Finance, Dr Zainab Ahmed, during the formal virtual public presentation of the 2021 budget by the Minister, she said the money will be expended to undertake the emergency rehabilitation and maintenance of the strategic bridge.

In addition to the construction and rehabilitation of roads in every geo-political zone in Nigeria, which is expected to gulp over N168 billion, N54 billion will also be expended for the construction & renovation of various Bridge projects nationwide.

The joint border bridge at Mfum/Ekok under the Nigeria/Cameroun International highway and transport facilitation programme will as well gulp N500m through counterpart funding.

The roads to receive attention include Counterpart Funding for the dualization of Makurdi – Enugu Road;  – Jos – Bauchi – Gombe Road.

Reconstruction of the Outstanding Sections of Benin – Ofosu – Ore – Ajebandele – Shagamu Expressway of Ilorin – Jebba – Mokwa/Bokani Junction Road; Ilorin-Kabba-Obajana Junction to Benin; Suleja-Minna Road, Niger State.

Construction of Bodo – Bonny Road; rehabilitation of Yola-Hong-Mubi Road; rehabilitation Of Nguru-Gashua-Bayamari Road; 9th Mile-Enugu-Port Harcourt; dual Carriageway for 9th mile bypass; upgrading and rehabilitation of Keffi – Akwanga – Lafia Road Project; rehabilitation of Zaria-Funtua-Gusau-Sokoto-Birnin Kebbi.

The 3rd mainland bridge spanning 11.8km distance of grey concrete was built in 1990 by the military administration of Gen. Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida at the cost of $1billion.

The bridge was once the longest in Africa though has been presently supplanted by the Cairo, Egypt’s 6th October Bridge.