15th April, 2023
The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to constant consultation with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing on Traffic Management of the construction corridor of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway even as the work is ramping up to completion.
In order to improve traffic, particularly around construction zones on Opic, Kara, and Berger axis, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde who was on tour duty of the construction zones at weekend, assured the motoring public that he would continue to hold strategic meetings with the Federal Ministry of Works and its project engineers to review the mode of works and proffer solutions that could ease the strain of traffic impact faced by road users.
He assured the motoring public that the Federal Government is expediting actions to complete the project at record time as announced by the Minister of Works and Housing.
The Commissioner stated that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, (LASTMA), its Ogun State counterpart, TRACE were working in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Commission, (FRSC) to ease the gridlock on the corridor.
He expressed sympathy on the plight being experienced by motorists on the corridor. He appealed for calm as the construction works would soon come to an end.
Disclosing updates on the construction works, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Engr. Umar Bakare explained that, the three existing lanes which the contractor usually worked with had to be reduced to two at each of the construction sections, thereby resulting in traffic build-up.
He assured that the FRSC, LASTMA, and TRACE were usually on site to control traffic.
He said the contractor was rounding up work around Opic and that with the completion of the Asphalt works, the section would be open to traffic by Monday while the Berger axis too would be completed by the end of the month of April.
The Controller of Works further explained that the contractor had increased the number of working gangs to four in order to increase the spate of work towards meeting up with the deadline of April.
With regards to Eko Bridge, Bakare stated that the rehabilitation works of the bridge was ongoing, especially at the fire damaged section of Apongbon.
He added that work is being concentrated on the restoration of the structural defect caused by the inferno, and once this is completed, he revealed that the bridge will be opened to traffic by the 31st of May, 2023 while work will continue on the other sections of the rehabilitated bridge.
He sought for the cooperation of the Motoring public in terms of compliance with traffic rules and regulations which will further improve movement around the construction zones.