The Federal Government on Tuesday in Lagos promised massive road repairs nationwide, after completing some ongoing projects in Lagos.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Godwin Eke, gave the assurance in an interview with newsmen in Lagos. He urged residents of Lagos, in particular, and Nigerians, in general, to expect more as the government was committed to deploying more resources to road projects in 2018.
Newsmen recall that the federal government had in September 2017 began massive rehabilitation works on some major roads in Lagos.
Some of the roads included the Funsho Williams Avenue, replacement of one expansion joint on Eko Bridge, Costain Roundabout to Eko Bridge Ramp and the Costain to Iganmu Bridge (Orile-bound).
Others were: Outer Marina to Ahmadu Bellow Way (From Apongbon Bridge to Bonny Camp), Apapa Road to Western Onikan Junction through Independent Bridge to Apongbon Bridge (Apongbon-bound) and the National Theatre Train Station to Costain (Costain-bound), among others.
Pressmen who took a trip around the projects on Tuesday reported that various bad spots on Funsho Williams Avenue had been rehabilitated.
Also, various portions on Eko, Apongbon and Carter Bridges were repaired. Newsmen also observed that various portions of Ijora 7-Up and Ijora Olopa, including the usually-flooded region of Oando Petrol Station, had been rehabilitated.
Repair work on various portions from Jibowu to Sabo in Yaba on both carriageways were also repaired.
Newsmen also visited roads and bridges in Alaka, Costain, CMS and Iganmu areas and observed that repairs had been completed on them. An engineer with the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (FMPWH), who conducted newsmen through the completed projects, said that a failed expansion joint causing gridlock on the Eko Bridge had also been repaired.
The senior engineer, who craved anonymity, told newsmen that the gridlock had also been tackled around Apongbon Market, because of repair works on the “descent of the Apongbon Bridge.
“We did some palliative work to rectify a failure from the decent of the Apongbon Bridge to the market, starting from the expansion joint to the top of the bridge,’’ the engineer said.
Our source explained that the repair works solved various drainage problems causing flooding, including the usually flooded portions on the descent of the Funsho Williams Avenue Bridge.
The official explained that the ministry was able to complete repairs on all the roads listed by the federal government in Sept. 2017, except a small portion of the Iganmu Bridge, usually blocked by tankers.
A cross-section of road users who spoke to newsmen on the repairs commended the government for a good job. They appealed for sustained efforts in road construction and rehabilitation in the state.
When contacted, Eke told newsmen that new concrete drains were constructed to “redirect the outfall of drains around Ijora to a major canal, to tackle flooding’’.
The controller explained that repair works had been completed on all sections and that the federal government had set a new target of massive road rehabilitation in 2018.
“Lagosians and Nigerians should expect more road rehabilitation works in 2018″.
“We will rehabilitate all the federal roads in Lagos and nationwide, as soon as we have funds,’’ the controller said. According to Eke, work is currently ongoing on the Lagos-Badagry expressway.
He added that the contractor closed site for the Christmas break and would be back before the end-of-week.
“Contractors have yet to also return to the site on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway and before the end of January, work will be completed on the pedestrian bridge projects on the highway”.
“We are supposed to be moving equipment and materials to those two sites now,’’ he said.
He, however, lamented the activities of tanker drivers, who parked constantly between Funsho Williams Avenue and Ijora and had damaged the highway.
“As soon as the tankers give us to assess, we will complete the repair work on the little portion of the Iganmu Bridge.
“The tankers even park on the bridges, which is not safe and they do all manner of things; they pour diesel on the road and that damages it,’’ he added.
Credit: Vanguard
