Tag: Lagos State government

The completed sections of the Lagos/Badagry Expressway project would be opened to motorists in the first quarter of 2017, to ease traffic congestion on the road, a top official of the CCECC, contractors handling the project, said in Lagos on Sunday.

The China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) official, who craved anonymity, told journalists that Phases 1 and 2 of the road project, which cover between the Iganmu Interchange and the Trade Fair, would be completed by 2017.

He added that the Third Phase of the project, which covers between the Trade Fair and Okokomaiko, is, however, scheduled for completion by 2019.

“The present reconstruction and expansion of the road will terminate at Afromedia, near Okokomaiko.

“The First Phase covers from the Iganmu Interchange to the FESTAC Town Second Gate at Agboju, while the Second Phase, between Agboju and the Trade Fair, will be ready for use by early 2017.

“But we are determined to conclude the entire project by 2019,’’ he said.

The official, however, said that certain challenges had delayed the project in the past.

“We have been having challenges on the road project and that has resulted to some delay in our work.

“We had to stop work for three years, from 2013 to this year, to allow NNPC to be able to relocate their pipelines buried between Alakija and Abule-Ado.

“They finally completed the relocation of those pipelines in October, and you can see for yourself that serious work is going on there now,’’ he said.

He said that the Third Phase of the project was also experiencing delays at the Military Cantonment in Ojo.

The CCECC official, however, assured that the Lagos State Government was collaborating with the Federal Government and the military authorities to resolve the challenge.

“The issue is that at the military barracks at Ojo, part of the fence has to give way for the road expansion project, but we cannot do that immediately due to the sensitive nature of their work.

“The Lagos State Government is, however, engaging them to see the best way we can achieve our aim, without compromising security,” he said.

The company official also said that their engineers were designing an overhead bridge on the road at Alakija, to permanently solve perennial gridlock around the Third Gate of FESTAC Town.

“As you know, that area is a high-traffic area.

“We will construct an overhead bridge over the FESTAC Town Third Gate so that motorists going towards Badagry can use the bridge, while those coming from FESTAC Town to Mile 2 can turn under the bridge.

“This will go a long way to ease the traffic situation there,” he said.

Serious construction work is ongoing on various aspects of the road at the moment.

The construction work has, however, worsened the traffic situation on the road, with some motorists calling on the contractors to create alternative routes, to ease the situation.

A motorist, Mr Saka Ajayi, however, commended the contractors for accelerating the pace of work.

“Each time I ply this road and see the progress being made in its reconstruction, I’m always happy.

“I can only urge the construction company handling the project to maintain the pace so that we, the motorists, can always have easy passage,’’ he said.

Mrs Bose Ahmed, a regular motorist on the road, however, advised the contractors to create alternative routes for the ease of road users.

“We thank God that the job is progressing fast, but the contractors should create an alternative route between Barracks and Volkswagen so that road users can have some relief,” she said.

Another road user, Mr Isaac Ola, commended the Lagos State Government for the reconstruction work.

“We are happy that the contractors are working, but although it is painful now when the job is eventually concluded, Lagosians will be happier for it,’’ he added.