18th December, 2020
By David Adeoye
The Federal Government has said that four pedestrian bridges will be constructed between Ibadan tollgate and Ojoo in course of the ongoing reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
Mr Funsho Adebiyi, Director, Federal Highways, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Abuja, made the disclosure at a news briefing on Friday in Ibadan.
Adebiyi said the position of Oyo state government, as espoused by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Bisi Ilaka and the Commissioner for Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport, Prof. Daud Sangodoyin, on the issue at stake was encouraging.
He expressed the need for the state and federal governments to synergise on the delivery of the federal highway projects in the state, one of which was the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
“Owing to the end result on the expressway, we are introducing four pedestrian bridges between Ojoo and toll gate so that people can be crossing over when the road is eventually completed.
“We are looking at constructing four pedestrian bridges but we are discussing with the state government on the possibility of adding a few more.
“Apart from the pedestrian bridges, we are also thinking of streetlights. The state government may want to collaborate with the federal government on this too,” the director stated.
“Ibadan tollgate to Ojoo is one of the busiest sections of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway; the traffic volume – both vehicular and human – is very high in that axis.
“While construction activities are kicking off there, we will need to close some sections for work and open others; it may be a segment of four kilometres interval. And so, traffic diversion will be necessary
“This is why we have to collaborate with the state government in the area of traffic control, for easy delivery of the project.
“Another aspect is the issue of illegal structures on the right ways of the road, which will definitely interrupt our construction activities.
“Since it is the state government that authorised the construction of most of these structures, either officially or otherwise, it will be necessary for it to use appropriate agencies to remove those illegal structures to allow us to gain our right of ways and to do our job.”
However, he ruled out the possibility of paying compensation to owners of the structures to be demolished in the right ways, saying that they were illegal.
The director disclosed that Gov. Seyi Makinde had agreed on a day for both parties to go round the ongoing federal government’s projects, particularly the Tollgate to Ojoo section of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
“This will make the governor have a feel of what the federal government is doing and also look for ways of addressing the challenges that would likely emerge as the project progresses,” he said.
Adebiyi appealed to motorists and other road users to show passion and empathy; take ownership and bear with the inconveniences while the construction was going on.
On the level of completion of the expressway, he said that it was more than halfway gone, adding that it would be for inauguration within the first quarter of 2022.
NAN