The Federal Government has begun rehabilitation, reconstruction and expansion works on the Agbara-Seme Border section of Lagos-Badagry Expressway, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
A NAN correspondent who, on Sunday, joined a Federal Ministry of Works inspection team, led by its Director Highways, South West, Mr Funsho Adebiyi, observed massive construction works around Agemowo on the highway.
Construction plants and materials have also been mobilised to some spots between Agbara and Badagry by CGC Nigeria Ltd, the contractors on the project.
Adebiyi told newsmen that government was reconstructing, rehabilitating, expanding various sections of the highway, adding that the work was from Agbara to Seme Border.
He said the sections between Agbara to Badagry would undergo reconstruction, expansion and rehabilitation while Badagry to Seme border would be rehabilitated.
He explained that one additional lane would be constructed on both carriageways between Agbara and Badagry.
“The contractor moved to site around November (2018) but because of the high traffic for the Christmas season, he was asked to make emergency repairs to make the road motorable.
“Now he is back on site on full construction works, the survey works, geotechnical investigations have all been completed. So, the actual construction work has now started.
“From Agbara to Badagry we are not just rehabilitating, we are doing total reconstruction and expansion. So the number of lanes would be increased from two to three from Agbara to Badagry.
“While from Badagry to Seme, because it is of lesser traffic, the lanes will be two all through to Seme but it will go through total rehabilitation,’’ he said.
The director said that some engineers had been stationed permanently on site to ensure quality assurance on the project, adding that compaction of imported materials were also being assessed.
He said that the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) was going to work on the section between Okokomaiko to Agbara, adding that procurement processes had already begun towards award of the contract.
Mr Li Kungian, the Project Manager, CGC Nigeria Ltd, during the inspection, took the ministry’s delegation to a temporary project yard the firm had acquired pending movement to another yard being processed.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Adedamola Kuti said “the project was part of a major project from Lagos to Abidjan and that the ministry was doing its best to speed up construction on the Lagos side’’.
He said that quality construction materials were being used to ensure durability of the road.
“It is going to be on a soil cement, sub base, stone base and then you have your binder course and your wearing course,“ he said.
He said that the project, which begun around October, had a completion period of 36 months.
He said because the road linked other African countries, “it makes commerce very easy, trading becomes very easy, those who are coming to Lagos the commercial capital of West Africa find it easy to move in and out’’.
“The economic benefit is really very great and then we have a lot of tertiary institutions along the corridor of this project,’’ he said.
Alhaji Idowu Bakare, a transporter, told newsmen that the construction would bring relief to road users but appealed to the Federal Government to speed up construction to reduce hardship on the highway.
He explained that craters on various sections of the road made motorists spend hours in gridlock, causing both economic losses and stress to road users.
Another transporter, Mr Adekunle Kehinde appealed to government to take the repairs beyond the Lagos-Badagry Expressway to other major highways in Lagos to reduce road congestion. (NAN)