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DayoAyeyemi | Lagos
GOING by the slow-pace of work on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway’s construction, the March 2023 delivery date being target by the Federal Government may not be feasible, field survey by the Nigerian Tribune has shown.
As at Monday, March 20, 2023, the contractor for the Section 1 of the project (Shagamu Interchange to the old Toll Gate in Ojota, Lagos), Messrs Julius Berger Plc, is still battling with the portions of the road from Fatgbems Bus-stop on the Long Bridge to Kara Bridge, inward Lagos, while work from Kara bus-stop, outward Lagos, is yet to be completed.
Also from the Berger Bus-Stop to Otedola Bridge, both inward and outward Lagos, the contractor still has a lot of reconstruction work to do; while construction’s work is yet to be completed between the old Toll Gate to Otedolabridge, outward Lagos.
Going by motorists, commuters and other members of the public’s estimation, it would take another six months to deliver the project if the contractor is well funded.
It would be recalled that the Federal Controller of Work in Lagos State, Mr Umar Bakare, had last December, gave end of March, 2023 for the completion of work on the expressway while speaking with journalists.
Bakare said this when he led some officials of the ministry on the order of the Minister of Work and Housing, MrBabatundeFashola, to the removal of barriers on the closed portion of the expressway to motorists during the last Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Further investigations by the Nigerian Tribune show that the construction’s work slowed down due to lack of funds.
Meanwhile, many motorists and commuters have not stopped to lament their excruciating traffic jam’s experience when plying the Lagos-lbadan Expressway.
The persistent gridlock, which always starts several hours from the Ogudu axis to Ojodu-Berger area, outward Lagos, motorists said was not encouraging as they spent several hours journey back home.
Another hotspot of gridlock is between Opic junction and BRT bus-stop near Otedola Bridge, inward Lagos.
Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, one of the motorists, SteveOlakunle, blamed the contractor for the gridlock, saying the pace of work was too slow when compared with the contractor handling the Oworonshoki-Oshodi-Apapa Expressway in Lagos.
Another motorist, IdowuKareem,while expressing his disappointment, asked why the contractor had been going back and forth on the Kara Bridge’s expansion joints.
He decried slow pace of work from Fatgems Bus-stop to Kara Bridge by the contractor, adding that lack of proper traffic management team was also responsible for gridlock on the expressway.
Some of the motorists appealed to the Federal Ministry of Works led by Mr. BabatundeFasola to urge the contractor to speed up the construction work to lessen people’s burden and enhance quick delivery of the road project.
A resident in Isheri, who identified himself simply as MrKayode appealed to the government to adequately fund the road project to enhance completion.
According to a report, a Federal Ministry of Works engineer supervising section one of the project, Mr Clement Adejala, had appealed for understanding of the road users.
He said that some lanes had to be narrowed for construction works, adding that the Kara Bridge section was a difficult waterlogged area.
According to him, the area had some underground soil issues, which were being tackled.
He said that solutions to the soil issues required total removal of surface layers to ensure fresh solid foundation works.
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