The Federal Government has inaugurated the ₦40 billion Close Circuit Television (CCTV) Monitoring Centre for the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State, marking a major step in strengthening infrastructure security and traffic management.
Inaugurating the facility, the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, said the administration inherited the Third Mainland Bridge, alongside Carter Bridge and Iddo Bridge, in a severely deteriorated condition when it assumed office in 2023.
“When we came on board in 2023, we met a very terrible Third Mainland Bridge, Carter Bridge and Iddo Bridge—on the pavement, surface, infrastructure above the water and even below the water,” Senator Umahi said.
He explained that President Bola Tinubu consequently ordered a total re-evaluation and comprehensive rehabilitation of the bridges, including the replacement of faulty expansion joints on the Third Mainland Bridge.
According to the minister, the completed rehabilitation has restored public confidence and improved safety, noting that Lagos residents expressed satisfaction with the quality of work delivered.
“Lagosians were very happy with the President for that beautiful work, and the project is still succeeding because of its quality,” he added.
Senator Umahi commended the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), which built the CCTV centre, for what he described as a professional and high-quality execution of the project.
He disclosed that, as part of the contract, the Ministry of Works would hand over a surveillance boat and two Hilux vans to the Nigeria Police for effective monitoring of activities on and around the bridge.
He added that other security agencies could be integrated into the monitoring framework if necessary.
“The idea of this project is that we now have a lay-by on the bridge and can view everything happening on the bridge in real time,” the minister said.
Senator Umahi also raised concerns about excessive speeding by motorists on the bridge, urging strict adherence to traffic rules and regulations to prevent accidents.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olufemi Dare, described the CCTV monitoring centre as the first of its kind in Nigeria, noting that it would significantly enhance bridge surveillance, safety, and rapid response to incidents.
Vanguard/NAN/Taiwo Akinola
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