Moved by the daily nightmares that commuters and motorists experience on Lagos roads, the state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the immediate reconstruction of the dilapidated highways and roads considered critical to the reduction of traffic congestion in the State.
According to a statement released by his Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile on Sunday, governor Sanwo-Olu gave the order after meetings with eight multi-national engineering firms within the state recently.
The statement noted that the governor had directed the eight engineering firms to immediately mobilise their equipment and start the construction works on the identified roads.
According to the statement, it is expected that the contractors’ swift response to the bad roads will give Lagos residents an immediate relief and also bring about free flow of traffic even during the rehabilitation work.
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The statement further states that governor Sanwo-Olu has directed the Lagos State Public Works Corporation to start immediate repairs of about 116 inner roads across the State in addition to over 200 roads already rehabilitated by the corporation in the last three months.
According to the statement, governor Sanwo-Olu said: “We expect the rains will begin to subside in this month of October and this is why we are mobilising our contractors to immediately start the major construction work on the identified highways and bring permanent relief to residents. I am giving all Lagosians the assurance that the contractors will start the construction in earnest and will deliver on the terms of agreements reached with them.”
The governor added that officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority will be working round the clock to control traffic on the areas where the construction would take place.
Among the contractor deployed by the government for the road construction were Julius Berger, Hitech, Arab Contractors, Metropolitan Construction, Slavabogu Construction, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Rajaf Foundation Construction, and RCF Nigeria Limited while some of the key highways listed for construction include Ojota stretch of the Ikorodu Road, Motorways-Kudirat Abiola Way, Apogbon Highway, Babs Animashaun Road, Agric/Ishawo Road and Ijede Road in Ikorodu, and Lekki-Epe Expressway from Abraham Adesanya to Eleko Junction.
Samson Oyedeyi
