Lagos, Jan. 11, 2026 (Naija247news) — The Federal Government has announced plans to demolish half of the Iddo Bridge in Lagos State next week as part of an extensive reconstruction exercise aimed at addressing structural damage and improving safety on the vital transport corridor.
The Regional Manager of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Mr. Thomas Christl, disclosed this on Sunday during an inspection tour of the bridge led by the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi.
Christl explained that three spans of the existing bridge have suffered severe damage and must be completely replaced. According to him, the reconstruction strategy involves separating traffic flow on the bridge to allow phased demolition and rebuilding.
“What we are doing now is separating the two lanes — the two directions. Next week, we will shift traffic to one direction, after which one half of the bridge will be demolished and rebuilt,” he said.
He added that once reconstruction of the first section is completed, traffic would be diverted to the newly rebuilt side by the end of March, allowing the remaining half of the bridge to be demolished and reconstructed.
“When that is done, we will shift traffic to the new side of the bridge and then demolish and rebuild the second half,” Christl said.
The Julius Berger official further revealed that construction of an underpass beneath the bridge is ongoing, alongside major drainage works to prevent future damage.
“We have already started the drainage works, and the outfall to the lagoon has been completed. After this, we will excavate the soil and lower the road level to increase the bridge clearance, ensuring that trucks no longer crash into the bridge, which has been a major cause of the damage,” he added.
Responding, the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, attributed the damage on the Iddo Bridge to a fire outbreak caused by illegal occupants under the structure, noting that the incident affected three spans on both carriageways.
“Six spans were affected in total. What we have done is re-asphalt one carriageway and divert all traffic to that side, so that we can remove the three damaged spans on the other carriageway,” Umahi said.
He explained that traffic would later be diverted back to the rebuilt section to enable demolition and reconstruction of the second carriageway.
Umahi disclosed that the project, estimated to cost ₦15 billion, is expected to be completed by June 2026.
“Part of the challenge is that the headroom is about 4.5 metres, whereas the minimum required is 5.6 metres. We are working to achieve this minimum clearance,” he said.
The minister added that the contractor has already made significant progress on improving the headroom and has commenced demolition of the first three spans on the initial carriageway, as well as construction of a bypass route.
“Julius Berger is doing well, and I hope there will be no delays. I have directed the supervising engineer to closely monitor the work and report back to ensure completion by June,” Umahi said.
He also assured that upon completion of the project, the Federal Government would install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to monitor activities both under and on top of the bridge, similar to security measures implemented on the Third Mainland Bridge.
Ifeoluwa Okonkwo ✔
Ifeoluwa Okonkwo is a dedicated News Content Editor at Naija247news, bringing over five years of experience in news writing and editorial work. A graduate of the University of Abia State, Ifeoluwa specializes in curating and refining impactful news stories that resonate with readers. Her expertise lies in delivering accurate, timely, and engaging content across diverse topics, contributing to the platform’s reputation for excellence in journalism. Through her leadership, she ensures high editorial standards and an unwavering commitment to journalistic integrity.
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