Increased commercial activities in the build-up to the festive period have been cited as the reason for the heavy gridlock currently associated with the Lagos-Ibadan highway, according to Hyginus Omeje, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for Lagos State.
Omeje was quoted by Punch saying: “Christmas is around the corner and people are coming into Lagos to pick up goods to other states. About 70% of cargo freight into Nigeria come in through Lagos ports.
“Apart from the new sections opened around Magboro and PUNCH Place, it is the same activity that commenced in September towards Kara Market that is still ongoing but there has been an upsurge in economic activities. This explains the recent increase in traffic.”
The Details: For Omeje, the number of vehicles on the road is more than what the roads can contain at this point due to the rehabilitation being carried out by Julius Berger. He noted that motorists usually complicate the matter by driving against traffic. The implication is being stuck in traffic for hours over a trip that would have been best completed in 20 minutes at most, using the Long Bridge and Berger Bus Stop, as an example.
To reduce the number of hours spent in traffic, Mr Funso Adebiyi, Director, Federal Highways, South West, recently disclosed the plans of the Federal Government to open all diversions around construction zones on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, starting from December 15. This is as reported by Nairametrics.
[READ MORE: Why FG postponed Lagos-Ibadan Expressway closure]
While speaking on the journey so far in regard to the completion of the road, Adebiyi said that about 65 kilometres of the road had been completed. He said that 20 kilometres on Section 1 from the Old Toll Gate to Sagamu interchange was being handled by Julius Berger and 45 kilometres on Section 2, from the interchange to Ibadan was being handled by the RCC.
He however heaped a few blames on truck drivers for making it increasingly difficult to attend to some sections of the road.
What you should know: Construction on the Berger/Kara Market part of the road commenced on September 2 with the enforcement of traffic diversions, and according to Julius Berger, that portion would be completed by December.
