Motorists, commuters decry hardship on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Some motorists plying Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Thursday appealed to the Federal Government to increase funding, review traffic architecture and introduce night operation to speed up its reconstruction and reduce gridlock.

The motorists spoke in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on section one of the project which started from Ojota in Lagos to the Sagamu Interchange in Ogun.

NAN reports that section two of the project begins from the Sagamu Interchange and ends at Ojoo in Ibadan.

It is being handled by Reynolds Construction Company while section one was contracted to Julius Berger Plc.

Mr Babatunde Ekemode, who operates a supermarket in Ibadan, appealed to the government to hasten the reconstruction.

Ekemode, who said that he plied the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway almost every day, told NAN that the reconstruction had been slow.

He appealed to the government to resolve all issues causing the delay.

Mr Omobola Olalere, who lives on the corridor, called for night works on the road to reduce stress on the users.

“It is causing a lot of problems for us, motorists.

“In some places, this type of construction ought to be done probably at night, not during the day,’’ he said.

Mr Mushood Akinade, a commercial bus driver, who plies Lagos-Ibadan Route, praised the Federal Government for the smoothness of the road.

Akinade said that the quality of the reconstruction was high, but urged that the project should be completed fast to save the lives and health of the road users.

Mr Anthony Ogunaiki, another transporter who lives at Mowe in Ogun, said that he had experienced traumatising incidents on the road, and appealed for speedy completion of the project as well as a better traffic management plan.

Mr Onyebuchi Samson, also a resident of Mowe, said that the space provided for vehicles around reconstruction zones were too narrow and should be expanded.

“At Kara, the demarcation around the construction zone is too narrow, and when there is an accident or breakdown, it will be difficult for any another vehicle to pass,’’ he told NAN.

A town planner at Magboro, also in Ogun, who identified himself simply as Deji, appealed to the government to adequately fund the project to enhance completion.

“To me, the work is slow; let government release money. Julius Berger has stayed too long on this project. People are suffering.

“Repairs of the expansion joints on Kara Bridge took several months and they did not fix all of them,’’ he said.

Mrs Chinwe Uzo, a female bus driver who plies the Ojodu Berger-Ikeja Route, also appealed to the Federal Government to hasten completion of the road project.

Responding, Mr Clement Adejala, a Federal Ministry of Works engineer supervising section one of the project, appealed for understanding of the road users.

He said that some lanes had to be narrowed for construction works, adding that the Kara Bridge section was a difficult waterlogged area.

He said that the area had some underground soil issues which were being tackled.

He said that solutions to the soil issues required total removal of surface layers to ensure fresh solid foundation works.

Adejala said that Julius Berger was working simultaneously on various sections to speed up completion of the project.

He added that Julius Berger was planning to create additional construction areas so as to meet the first quarter completion target given by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

A NAN correspondent who took a trip to section one of the project, reports that workmen were seen around Otedola Bridge on the Lagos-bound carriageway and at Kara Bridge on the Ibadan-bound carriageway.

They were also working from Old Toll Gate to Alausa on the Ibadan-bound carriageway.