Works Minister, Engr Umahi inspects all Road Projects, Bridges in Lagos
- To install Solar lights, CCTV Cameras on top and beneath the bridge
The Honourable Minister of Works His Excellency, Sen. Engr Nweze David Umahi CON has restated the commitment of the Federal Government under the Renewed Hope administration of His Excellency, President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to ensuring that all the Federal Road projects are executed speedily and delivered in best standards, by undertaking an inspection tour of all ongoing roads and bridge projects in Lagos with the Engr. (Mrs.) O. I. Kesha, Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, the Federal Ministry of Works, contractors and some newsmen.
Honourable Minister of Works His Excellency, Sen. Engr Nweze David Umahi CON during an interactive session with the press men in the course of the tour of inspection of the Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway project said that his ministry has set a policy that we will not pay for any delayed project through the mechanism of prices, thus any contractor that gets mobilization will not benefit from the variation of prices.
The minister said that the contractor handling the Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway project is noted for high performance and beating the time, adding that the time set for the project is 36 months.
“It is going to be running concurrently with section two and section three. Right now, I am handing over section one to HITECH Construction Company Nigeria for them to start work. We are also handing over the site properly to ESIA which is in charge of the environment and to put HITECH and ESIA together to start work. Now we commend the Lagos State Government because of the gazetted road that is made free for us. The State Governor is doing enough to encourage this project. The 16Km where we did alignment, the realignment has already been approved by Mr President. I am directing that where we have minimal demolition should be followed by the State government with HITECH.
“ I have directed HITECH Construction to immediately move to all the sections that the State government has given to us to take the right of way immediately. They have completed the sand filling of 1.3Km from the day the project was awarded to them. It shows the speed they have deployed to this project. Within a couple of one to two weeks we awarded the project to them. They mobilized a lot of dredging equipment and you can see the 1.3Km already done,” the minister said.
Engr. Umahi disclosed that he was going to inspect a couple of ongoing projects on the bridges which includes, Eko Bridge which is undergoing a lot of rehabilitation and giving life to it is ongoing.
“I want to let the people know that Mr President has already approved and released funds for the entire completion of the EKO Bridge which is a total of 11 Km. I will go there to see the additional jobs that are going to be done there to make it look like the 3rd Mainland Bridge that Nigerians are happy about now. We are going to look at the 3rd Mainland Bridge again today because we want to bring Solar light and put CCTV cameras on top of the deck and under the bridge to check insecurity and illegal mining of sand which is giving us problems,” he said.
He revealed that the most important aspect is to know what is happening beneath the water level, so we are taking Julius Berger there to look at it for quick action.
The Minister said while fielding questions from news men about the situation of the long bridge connecting Lagos and Shagamu, explained that it is the expansion joint that was done by Julius Berger, noting that from the report sent to him by Engr. (Mrs.) O. I. Kesha, Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, the Federal Ministry of Works, the work they did was not very good, “so they are going to repeat it and do it well to our satisfaction.”
He stated that they don’t want the discomfort of Lagosians on the 3rd Mainland Bridge and then Shagamu, adding that one side of the Shagamu carriageway was closed for upward of 14 days for proper repair of the expansion joints.
After the inspection done under the bridge through the use of boats, the minister said,” We have decided to check under the bridge today through the water with Julius Berger as we plan the complete rehabilitation of the bridges in Lagos, especially the connecting piers and pier caps at Carter Bridge and 3rd Mainland Bridge.
“ We are going to deal with four critical elements which includes the deck of about 11Km by dual carriageway as well as the ramps being done by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Ltd. (CCECC) We are replacing the lights with solar lights, put some decorative lights, CCTV both on top and under the bridge to checkmate security and illegal mining of sand which is causing spinning of the piles.
“The second job is about some section of the slabs, so what we have done is to get an expert that studied the level of depletion on the tendon of the slabs. So, we are going to cut the slabs, enter and look at it, scoop it and then reinstate the tendons of the slabs. It is being done at Eko Bridge and it is not a threat to us,
“The third element is what Julius Berger is doing already, that is repairs of the deteriorating piers, pier caps and the covers.
“Then, the most critical we have gone to inspect is with the piers. The piers to the bridges are like our legs, so if something is wrong with our legs we can no longer stand and if our legs are no longer on the ground we can no longer stand, so these piers have been embedded in what is called Skin friction by the tying of sand on the piers.
“Two critical problems that we are looking at are the scouring and illegal mining which is causing a lot of sand to be removed. Then the skin friction will be causing a problem to the stability of the bridge.
“The second one is the deterioration of the piers themselves. Some of them need reinforcement, very dangerous because the casing is gone and the concrete exposed,” Engr Umahi highlighted.
According to the minister, it was an investigation carried out in 2013 where over 3,000 piers were ticked and checked and over 30% of them had critical conditions.
“In 2019, a company from Italy carried out an investigation on 68 pier caps and discovered that there was progressive deterioration from what they saw in 2013. Good enough Julius Berger has their contract here and so we have asked them to concentrate on the 68 piles to know what is happening to the piers and the progressive deterioration from 2013 t0 2024.They should be able to do that and give us their opinion. We have also asked some other expatriates to look at prices and hope to be here again in two weeks’ time to make some critical decisions. To start on these critical piers, their pipe bits and their integrity on the rehabilitation we are going to do at Carter Bridge, mill asphalting it and resurface it and put light on it, same thing with Eko Bridge,” he added.
He pointed out that they are going to work on Eddo bridge and understudy what is going on at Falomo Bridge, so the ministry has directed Julius Berger to look at it.
When asked the percent of work so far done at the 3rd Mainland bridge, the minister said that they have done 70% of resurface and re-asphalting, but are still on in terms of the solar light, while the CCTV is still at the design stage.
He stressed that the essence of CCTV is to ensure that one can stay at a point and know what is happening on top and under some of the bridges.
The minister commended Julius Berger for the good job at the 3rd Mainland bridge and the deck of about 11Km dual carriageway including the ramps being done by CCECC.
“We have not concluded, but before the end of March we will complete the asphalting. That is not all we are replacing the guide and replacing the lights with solar light, decorative lights, CCTV on top and under the bridge,” the minister said.
He revealed that as a matter of policy the ministry under his watch is encouraging indigenous contractors.
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