On October 6 2011, the Lagos State Governor Fashola commissioned the “Falomo On Ramp Bridge” at a cost of about N2.5b. The bridge was designed to direct cars en-route Ikoyi from Ozumba Mbadiwe to Ikoyi, without having to go through Law School link road. According to the Governor Fashola ” the new Falomo On-Ramp Bridge will make significant contribution towards easing traffic bottleneck and congestion that have characterized this part of Victoria Island”. Well so far so good it is doing the exact opposite especially to those coming from Akin Adesola, with the traffic sometimes spilling into Adeola Odeku. It is obvious to see where the problem lies.
I am not a traffic manager, but having drove past Akin Adesola for years its is easy to observe that the road is quite narrow and is the major link road to Ikoyi for commuters coming from Victoria Island. As such, restricting traffic flow from that road is a recipe for shifting of traffic from one area to another. The restriction in this case is the traffic light that controls the channel of traffic into the Falomo bridge between those coming from the Ramp Bridge and those ascending from Akin Adesola. In taking the decision to build this link bridge, I suppose the Lagos State Government opined that they were going to ease traffic congestion on Ozumba Mbadiwe without considering the effect on those coming from Akin Adesola. I believe if they did, they probably will not have gone ahead.
Its probably too early to judge as it is just barely a week since it was open to the public. For now though, the trauma continues with off course attendant financial cost to ordinary Lagosians. A US study suggest about 6liters of petrol is spent per hour in traffic. This cost about N390(6*N65) per hour in Nigeria. Multiply that by 6,000 cars (assuming 500 cars ply that route every hour for 12 hours a day) then you get N2.34m a day and N16.38m in the first week alone. At this rate in 152 weeks time (2.9years) the N2.5b would have been covered by the amount of time wasted in traffic. Intriguing isn’t it?
The Falomo Ramp isn't a failure. The "new" traffic we are currently experiencing in that axis is as a result of excitement on the part of motorists. Being a new project with a lot of expectation by road users, as the ultimate solution to the Law School bottleneck, there is an increase in the number of vehicles plying that route at the close of work. Folks who usually go through Ahmadu Bello, Adeola Odeku and Ozumba Mbadiwe to get to the mainland via Onikan, now use the ramp.This, I believe is the cause of the traffic. With time it will ease up. The ultimate solution in my opinion, would be the completion of the Lekki Phase I – Ikoyi link bridge. That will take up traffic coming from the Lekki/VI ext. axis, thereby freeing up Ozumba and Akin Adesola. That bridge should be complete by the 1st qtr of 2012. I think the LASG deserve some commendation in this respect.
Im not sure I agree with you Jide. The traffic is actually worse for those coming from Akin Adesola and not those using the ramp. The Lekki Phase 1 link bridge may well be the ultimate solution but for now, the ramp isnt working as planned.This is not to take away the good work of the LASG. The idea of the bridge is obviously in good faith
Yes, it affect those coming from Akin Adesola the more because most of the motorists coming from V/I use that route to get off the island. If you notice, most of the roads linking Ozumba from the upper section are in very bad state. So most people avoid getting into Ozumba from those ends, and use Akin Adesola instead. The Ramp has greatly reduced the outflow from the Lekki axis. If motorist use the Bonny Camp end more, maybe the situation will improve.