The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, has given a thumps up on the progress of work on the ongoing Lagos-Badagry, Lagos-Ibadan Roads’ reconstruction and rehabilitation project.
The minister,who was in Lagos at the weekend for the inspection of the ongoing reconstruction and rehabilitation of Federal roads, pointed out that great feat had been recorded beyond where the project was in 2015.
Accompanied by the Special Adviser to Gov. BabajideSanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederick Oladeinde and other top engineers, the minister said the progress made on the roads’ project was evidence of the commitment of the Buhari administration to the nation’s infrastructure.
Commenting on the ongoing Lagos-Badagry road’s project, Fashola said it was part of the Lagos-Abidjan highway with over 40 million commuters travelling all the way to Ivory Coast.
Fashola said that Nigeria had demonstrated leadership by starting construction of its own side of the project.
He said the construction had reached final layer on 22 kilometres stretch of section three.
“What is left is just the wearing course that you see is being installed at kilometer one plus 800.
“So, it is just about 200 metres to kilometre 22. This is the part of the road that will be three lanes on a dual carriageway,’’ he said.
Fashola said financing for section three was sustainable because NNPC had taken over its funding.
Three independent contractors are working on the highway under the supervision of Lagos State Government, FERMA and the Federal Ministry of Works.
The minister reeled out the economic benefits the project had brought on the Badagry corridor to small and big businesses.
He said it was part of the Buhari-led administration’s programmes of bringing millions of people out of poverty.
Meanwhile, Fashola has reaffirmed the readiness of the Federal Government to deliver the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by the end of April 2023.
The minister reassured that the main carriageway of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will be completed ahead of schedule on April 30.
Fielding questions from journalists, he explained all efforts to keep pace with the speed of the construction , in spite of challenges of high vehicular volume, impact of bad soil, reckless driving by impatient motorists and other technical issues.
According to him, there were interventions to reduce impact of gridlock on motorists and commuters using traffic and law enforcement agencies from both Lagos State and Ogun.
Fashola also explained the emergency measures of opening up some sections adopted by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Umar Bakare, to ease gridlock for travellers during the Easter holiday.
He said the contractors were working on the last stretch of six kilometers (KM) which was the most difficult aspect, to construct out of the entire 44 kms of section one of the highway which spans from Ojota in Lagos to Sagamu Interchange.
Fashola said three teams, made of 450 construction workers, were working simultaneously on three sections with a deployment of about 110 equipment, machines and trucks.
He said the traffic regulatory agencies and law enforcement agencies had their tow trucks and other logistics handy on ground to clear impediments from breakdowns and accidents.
Speaking on constant accidents on the Otedola Bridge, Fashola said some properties needed to be relocated in addition to some engineering solutions to curb the menace.
According to him, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction/rehabilitation project would take care of disorderliness, including street trading, reckless driving and other excesses of road users.
He added that after the project is delivered, it will be easy for law enforcement and traffic regulatory agencies to enforce order.
He said the ministry was ensuring it took care of the road infrastructure to perfect regime of law and order restored on the highway, for things to be done right
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