Moshood Adebayo
After about four years of abandonment, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, flagged off continuation of the construction of the Lagos-Badary Expressway, with a promise that a portion of it, from Agboju to Trade Fair, would be completed this year.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat, at the Abule-Ado axis, also lamented activities of motorists driving against traffic along the axis.
“As you recall, it is a massive road; we are expanding four lanes to 10 lanes.
“It is a 60-kilometre road from Bode Thomas, all the way to Okokomaiko. That is what we are doing and the essence is that we will start all over again.
“From Agboju to Trade Fair would be completed this year; that is from the four lanes to 10 lanes.
“At least, we saw the state of the road presently.
“Then, palliative measures would start from Trade Fair to Okokomaiko, to make it motorable for our people.
“While construction of that parts that takes us to Okokomaiko will continue, it is important to stress the cooperation between the sate government and the Federal Government.
“Today, the Federal Road Management Agency (FERMA) has awarded the rehabilitation contract from Igbo-Elerin to Agbara.
“ That rehabilitation will maintain the four lanes. The reason is clear because, on that axis, you have pipelines and various infrastructure. We want to make sure they are preserved. That will make it motorable for Lagosians.
“The Federal Ministry of Works has also awarded the contract from Agbara to Seme border; that will be six lanes, so, you can see the geography now.
“It makes it easier for our residents to move and that is the cooperation that is happening among the various organs of government presently.’’
Earlier, the governor, who ordered impoundment of three vehicles driving against the traffic, urged motorists to desist from the act or face the full wrath of the law.
He said: “As we were coming here this morning, we saw vehicles facing one way. We stopped some of them and turned them back while we ordered officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to go and process others. A lot of our citizens were giving excuses that there is no road that is why we have to face one way. Unfortunately, on that same road, we saw a young man that was hit by commercial motorcyclist also known as ‘Okada’ while facing one way.
“So, that young man can be anybody’s brother, somebody’s cousin, somebody’s father.
“On June 2, two days after our inauguration, governor Sanwo-Olu and myself were here and I am here, again, to show Lagosians that this is a very critical road for us and that construction will start again on this road and that is why we are here today (yesterday) to fulfil that promise.’’
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Olujimi Hotonou, described the road as one of the gateways of the country that connects it to neighbouring countries.
“It is currently heavily congested, journey time which use to take 15 to 30 minutes now take between three to four hours. The extreme regular congestion has a significant impact on economic activities, reduces the potential for future growth and, perhaps most importantly, it has a large detrimental impact on the quality of life of millions of Lagosians on this axis.’’