The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Kayode Popoola, on Wednesday, said that work on section one of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction and rehabilitation was 61 per cent completed.
The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that section one of the project is about 43 km and spans from Ojota in Lagos to the Sagamu Inter-change being handled by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc.
Popoola told NAN in Lagos that Julius Berger abandoned the site for about two months because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but returned in May and work was in progress in spite of the challenges.
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He listed some of the challenges slowing down the construction to high traffic and vehicular volume as well as the limited number of construction workers allowed on site due to COVID-19 restriction guidelines.
“Lagos-Ibadan Expressway rehabilitation and reconstruction project is ongoing and the contractors are on site.
“On section one being handled by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, work is ongoing and as at today, the percentage completion is 61 per cent.
“The contractors are carrying out excavations on some sections, just yesterday, (Tuesday) they laid Macadam at Ibafor on Kilometer 17 plus 250,” he said.
Macadam is a broken stone of even size, bound with tar or bitumen and used in successively compacted layers for surfacing roads and paths.
The federal controller also explained that over 24 km of the road had been completed with 50 per cent representing about 20 km of drainage works also completed on both carriageways.
Popoola added that some median drains and kerbs had also been completed.
Speaking on the Apapa-Oshodi-Ojota-Oworonsoki Expressway project being handled by the Dangote Group, the controller said it was 48 per cent completed.
“Right now, the work has passed Gbagada, they want to link the end of Alapere coming out,” he said.
He assured that the contractor would be able to deliver the project on the scheduled November completion date, with the speed at which the project was running.
NAN recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off the project in Lagos in November 2018 with the construction expected to enhance ease of doing business at the ports and reduce discomfort for motorists.
Speaking on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway project, he said that some workers of CGC Nigeria Ltd, contractors on the project, were stranded abroad due to suspension of international flights because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Popoola said the staff who travelled to China were unable to return to Nigeria before the closure of the airports.
“Some of their management staff are in China, they are eager to come back but the airports are closed,” he told NAN.
Commenting on the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway project, he said that Julius Berger was working around Gudugba on the Abeokuta end of the highway before they were forced to leave in February due to Coronavirus.
“After the COVID-19 lockdown, the contractor will return to the site,” he said.