Why we expanded Lagos-Ibadan expressway, says Lai Mohammed
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, continued the inspection of Federal Government’s infrastructural projects across the country,with a visit to the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, yesterday.
The Minister, who kick-started the tour on Tuesday with a visit to the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail line, inspected the two sections of the expressway: from Lagos to Shagamu Interchange and Shagamu
Interchange to Ibadan.
While briefing the Minister and his team, Project Engineer of the Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) and contractor handling the Shagamu-Ibadan axis, Mr. Noar Narkisis, disclosed that work had reached 58.27% completion on the axis.
He explained that the RCC was currently working to expand and reinforce the road, in addition to building concrete drainages and repairing failed bridges.”
Narkisis, who stated that the RCC was also doing maintenance of the existing carriageway to ensure a free flow of traffic, assured that, the company would complete the asphalt-laying phase of the entire 84-kilometer sector before the end of the year, disclosing that 4,000 jobs had been created as a result of the highway construction on Section II alone.
At the Shagamu Interchange, the Division Manager of Julius Berger and contractor handling Section One from Lagos to the Shagamu Interchange, Mr. Wolfgang Losesser, said 17 kilometres of the 3-lane, 43-kilometre road had been completed.
“From Shagamu driving toward here, the first 17 kilometres on the Lagos bound side has already been completed. Then you realize that it has gone back to the old two lanes. Here we are just doing some palliative work because the rainy season is coming and we are working on the drainage,” he said.
In his remarks, Minister of Information and Culture explained that the recent extension of the scope of work was in anticipation of the huge traffic coming out of Lagos to the Shagamu interchange.
“Some 70% of the traffic coming to Lagos is from the Lagos-Shagamu Exchange, which explains why the Lagos-Shagamu comprises three lanes on each side while the Shagamu-Ibadan comprises two lanes on each side,” he said.