“Why Carter Bridge Must Comot Road, Na Federal Controller Of Works Talk Am”

Federal Controller of Works for Lagos State, Kehinde Olukorode, don check Carter Bridge come talk say di old bridge don pass im time wey e suppose dey useful, and people no fit dey trust am again for safe waka. As e dey talk for one television programme, Olukorode wey be engineer, talk say di bridge, one of di three major roads wey connect Lagos Island and Mainland, don reach di end of di time wey e fit still dey work well. “Dis bridge na one of di oldest for inside Lagos. Dem build am before Nigeria get independence, and for many years, nobody really do any serious maintenance for am. Di Honourable Minister don talk am clear-clear. Carter Bridge don spoil finish. E don reach di last level wey e fit ever work,” she talk. She talk say even though people dey see repair wey dem dey do on top di water level, na under di water di real danger dey hide. “Government give maintenance contract last year to fix wetin people fit see for eye on top di surface. You fit see some of di patch-patch wey dem don already do. But when we enter under di bridge, na there we see say wahala dey gidi-gba,  serious structural gbege. Di Honourable Minister talk say e be like person wey no get leg, and you dey waste time dey patch di hip. Na exactly wetin dey happen with Carter Bridge,” she explain. According to her, years of neglect, wahala from illegal dredgers and miners, plus the way heavy-duty trucks just dey park anyhow on top di bridge, na all these things don make di condition of di bridge worse pass before. Bridges no dey designed to carry load wey just dey stay one place. Dem design am for dynamic load, wey mean say moving traffic. Once you turn bridge to truck park, you don dey weaken am small small. Na part of the wahala wey we dey face today,” she add Bridges no dey designed to carry load wey just dey stay one place. Dem design am for dynamic load, wey mean say moving traffic. Once you turn bridge to truck park, you don dey weaken am small small. Na part of the wahala wey we dey face today,” she add.

As e reach the matter of how much e go cost to repair am, Olukorode remember wetin the Minister talk. “Di Honourable Minister don talk say to repair am go cost around three billion naira. If you compare that money to wetin e go take build new bridge, the difference no too plenty. Na why government dey reason well-well whether to just build new one, she talk. She reveal say two marine engineers wey no get anything join body with government don already submit their report, and the two confirm say di bridge no dey in good condition at all. Another third consultant don join now to still do another check to confirm how bad e be. She talk say, “Di Honourable Minister sef personally enter boat go inside water to see things with im own eye. E spend hours there, but di tide high too much. E come promise say e go come back. Di reports wey dey our front show clear-clear say dis bridge need urgent attention. Carter Bridge, together with Eko Bridge and Third Mainland Bridge, don dey important for Lagos traffic wahala for many decades. Dem build am during colonial time, and na di first bridge wey connect Mainland to Island, na big road wey help trade, waka, and how Lagos take grow turn big city. Olukorode assure residents say government no go ever allow make Lagos cut off. “When new bridge come, e no must follow the same road wey Carter Bridge dey. Di old bridge fit still dey used, but e go be with small-small load, just like wetin happen with Second Niger Bridge. Government dey reason ahead and dem dey realistic. Di main goal na to make sure say people dey safe and movement for Lagos no go jam,” she talk. As di bridge don weak now because of age and overuse, Lagos people dey wait make Federal Government talk final whether dem go replace Carter Bridge or comot am completely.