The Federal Government has announced plans to demolish half of the Iddo Bridge in Lagos State next week as part of ongoing efforts to rebuild and restore the aging structure.
The Regional Manager of Julius Berger Nigeria, Mr. Thomas Christ, disclosed this on Sunday during an inspection tour of the bridge by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi.
According to Christ, three spans of the existing bridge have suffered severe damage and must be replaced. He explained that construction work has begun with the separation of traffic lanes to allow phased demolition and reconstruction.
“What we are doing at the moment is separating the two lanes, and next week, traffic will be diverted to one side. One half of the bridge will then be demolished and rebuilt,” he said. “By the end of March, traffic will be shifted to the reconstructed side, after which the other half of the bridge will be demolished and rebuilt.”
Christ added that Julius Berger is also constructing an underpass beneath the bridge to improve clearance and prevent future damage. He noted that drainage works have commenced, with the outfall to the lagoon already completed.
“After the drainage works, we will excavate the soil and lower the road level to increase the bridge clearance so that trucks can no longer crash into the bridge, which was a major cause of the damage,” he explained.
Speaking during the inspection, Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, said the bridge was previously damaged by a fire outbreak caused by illegal occupants beneath the structure, affecting three spans on both carriageways.
“Six spans were affected. We have re-asphalted one carriageway to divert traffic fully to that side before removing three spans on the other carriageway. Once that is completed, traffic will be diverted again to allow demolition and reconstruction of the second carriageway,” Umahi said.
The minister disclosed that the project, estimated to cost ₦15 billion, is expected to be completed by June.
“One of the major issues is headroom. The existing clearance is about 4.5 metres, whereas the minimum required is 5.6 metres. We are working to achieve that standard,” he added.
Umahi commended Julius Berger for the progress made so far but cautioned against delays. He said the contractor had already demolished the first three spans and constructed a bypass route.
“I am directing the supervising engineer to closely monitor the project and report back to ensure it is completed as scheduled by June,” he said.
The minister also assured that upon completion of the rehabilitation works, the Federal Government would install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras under and on top of the bridge to monitor activities, similar to measures implemented on the Third Mainland Bridge.
