Key highlights
- The Federal Government says the Lagos-Ibadan expressway will be open to traffic by April 30.
- The government said that 9 kilometres of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway will be left uncompleted as the Oyo State Government is constructing drainage across the road to address flooding.
- The Federal Government also said that the Second Niger Bridge will be fully open to traffic by May 15.
The Federal Government says that the Lagos-Ibadan expressway will be completed by the end of April, a development that will be a huge relief to motorists and commuters.
The government also revealed that the Second Niger Bridge, one of the legacy projects of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration will be fully open to traffic in May.
This was made known by the Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, during an inspection of the completed Loko-Oweto Bridge and link roads between Benue and Nasarawa states yesterday.
Deadline for Lagos-Ibadan express completion is April 30
While commenting on the Lagos–Ibadan road, Fashola appealed for continuous perseverance and understanding of all road users, as traffic had to be diverted during construction with the road regarded among the busiest in the country.
- The minister said, ‘’On the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the date we have now, and once again, I want to appeal first to commuters on that road for their continuous patience, forbearance and understanding – it is a difficult project to execute because it is perhaps one of the busiest roads in the country.
- “Building through 40,000 vehicular traffic daily is not an easy undertaking; we can’t shut down the road. So, we have to also manage and divert traffic for the safety of those who are involved in the construction.
- “The deadline date we have for completion now is the 30th of April. So, in barely about four weeks, 26 days, plus or minus, that road should be fully completed, open to traffic from Lagos to Ibadan, and beyond the toll gate up to kilometre 116. That will be done by the 30th of April.
- “What will be left is nine kilometres, from kilometres 17 to 27. And the reason why that will be left is that the Oyo State Government is constructing drainage across the road, and we have decided that we need the drainage because it will help address the issue of excessive flooding and climate change in Oyo State.
- “But we believe that it is better to wait for them to finish that project, and then complete the remaining nine kilometres, instead of building it now and having them cut it up again. So, just nine kilometres outside Ibadan is what will be left. But by the 30th of April, your end-to-end, from Lagos tollgate to Ibadan tollgate, the road should be open on the 30th of April for traffic.”
Second Niger Bridge to open to traffic on May 15
The minister explained that minor things like lane marking and the erection of signages on the Second Niger Bridge would be completed ahead of the inauguration of the project by President Buhari on May 15.
- He said, “Yesterday, we had a periodic meeting in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President with the contractors and our team. We reviewed the challenges (on the Second Niger Bridge) and how to solve them.
- “The link road that we formally opened to traffic, the date we have now is the 15th of May, as of yesterday (Monday). We are rolling out all the steps to support the contractor to see that that date is achieved.
- “A lot of snag resolutions are going to start; lane marking on the bridge will soon start and erection of signages will also soon start. Just about two weeks before the end of the term, the President will be invited to the completion, and maybe any day thereafter, he will be able to fly in and do the ceremony. But by the 15th of May, the bridge should be fully open to traffic.”