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By DayoAyeyemi | Lagos
Stakeholders comprising officials of the Federal Ministry of Work and Housing, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), the Nigeria Police and Julius Berger Plc have considered new measure to reduce gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
As one of the outcomes of the meeting, the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Mr Umar Bakare, has set up a special task force coupled with other measures to tackle the gridlock.
He assured motorists that the extraordinary measures put in place would help ease gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The stakeholders meeting, which was held at the Julius Berger Yard, Old Toll Gate, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, had in attendance law enforcement and traffic regulatory agencies.
Issues surrounding the speedy completion of the road’s reconstruction and rehabilitation were discussed and resolved during the meeting.
Speaking during the inspection of the project at the weekend, Bakare said that the stakeholders had deployed strategies that would ensure moving traffic, adding that vehicular traffic could not be completely ruled out at construction points.
According to him, the contractor is under obligation to work till night hours to achieve speedy completion of the work by end of April or early May.
He said that the practical implementation of strategies discussed at the stakeholders meeting was reason for the inspection, and that improvement was already being seen with moving traffic experienced on Friday.
The controller further said that the meeting was to reassess efforts and review traffic architecture to reduce stress on road users, adding that the collaboration would continue.
He said the section one of the project, which spans Ojota in Lagos to Sagamu Interchange, is over 93 per cent completed.
According to him, the contractor has improved in the operations over the time. “We have increased the locations and areas where we are working. We are doing this because of the time and weather,” he said.
Bakare appealed for understanding from road users, noting that the pace of work was affected by traffic because the construction sections were in densely populated areas.
MrKehindeHamzat, the FRSC Corps Commander, Lagos Ibadan Expressway corridor, said that two tow trucks were on standby to promptly evacuate vehicles that broke down.
According to him, motorists as part of measures to ensure flowing traffic around construction zones introduced more barriers to ensure lane discipline.
He gave assurance of an improved synergy of the traffic control and security agencies to ensure full compliance with traffic regulations at the flashpoints.
Also, the LASTMA representative, an Assistant Controller, MrJubrilOshodi, said the synergy would be more effective now because the strategies identified gaps were already being tackled.
TRACE Divisional Commander, MoweIbafo, MrOjerindeKabiru, said that the joint task force would not only ease gridlock but reduce road crashes.
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