Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to be completed by April 30 — Fashola

The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Saturday reassured that the main carriageway of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will be completed ahead of schedule on April 30.

Fashola gave the assurance while inspecting the highway.

He was accompanied on the trip by the Special Adviser to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye, the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederick Oladeinde and other engineers.

The minister enumerated efforts to keep pace with construction speed, in spite of challenges of high vehicular volume, impact of bad soil, reckless driving by impatient motorists and other technical issues.

He explained interventions to reduce impact of gridlock on motorists and commutters using traffic and law enforcement agencies from both Lagos State and Ogun.

Fashola also explained 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 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.

“We will do our best to deliver this on the expected date which is 30th of April,” he said.

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.

“So far so good, we are on course, we are on the last stretch of the race. Often times when you are running a marathon, as you get towards the end, you get fatigued as you see the finish line.

“We stayed focused, that is one of the reasons I am here to ensure that we will meet that deadline, fingers crossed, I hope that we do not have any unforseen developments again,” he said.

He said 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.

 He said 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.

Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Mr Umar Bakare and the Project Manager,  Julius Berger, Mr Amin Alkhalili, took turns to explain progress of work and other technical details.