FG begins emergency repair of Lagos roads, bridges

The federal government has begun emergency and remedial repair of some major roads and bridges in Lagos state, Godwin Eke, the federal controller of works, said on Sunday.

Eke told journalists in Lagos that some of the bad roads required urgent attention and that the federal government was determined to make all federal roads across the country motorable.

He stated that repair work on some of the roads have been completed while others are still ongoing.

The controller explained that remedial work on both carriageways of Apongbon Bridge undulations had been completed.

According to him, the repair work was completed speedily because the contractors worked at night.

He identified the ongoing emergency repair projects as repairs on Ijora Causeway, Ijora Flyover (East Link), Funsho Williams Avenue, replacement of 1 N (one number) expansion joint on Eko Bridge, Costain Roundabout to Eko Bridge Ramp and Costain to Iganmu Bridge (Orile Bound).

Some others are Funsho Williams Bridge to Alaka, Carter Bridge Roundabout to LAWMA Junction (Eko Bridge Bound Carriageway), Herbert Macaulay Way (Jibowu Junction to Adekunle Junction) and Outer Marina to Ahmadu Bellow way (From Apongbon Bridge to Bonny Camp).

Also listed are Falomo Roundabout through Kingsway Road to Osbourne Road, Apapa Road to Western Avenue (Between Iganmu Bridge Ramp and Western Avenue Bridge Ramp (Alaka Bound Carriageway), Apapa Road towards Iganmu Bridge (Orile Bound) which were receiving attention.

According to Eke, also undergoing repairs are Ijora Olopa to Ijora7Up (Beside Oloye Nursery and Primary School (Ijora Olopa Bound), Alaka to Apongbon through Eko Bridge (both carriageways) and Onikan Junction through Independent Bridge to Apongbon Bridge (Apongbon Bound).

Other roads being refurbished are Lagos Island/General Hospital to Apongbon; Onikan/Lagos Island to Apongbon through Apongbon Bridge/CMS (CMS Bound); Eko Bridge Approach to Ijora; Ijora to Apapa Road through underneath Iganmu Flyover (Costain Bound) and the National Theatre Train Station to Costain (Costain Bound).

He said the government was working assiduously to conclude plans for other roads not yet captured.

He, therefore, appealed to Lagos state residents to be patient with the government as repair work would soon reach those roads not captured earlier.

“Due to paucity of funds government cannot repair all the roads at the same time,” he said.

Earlier, the controller had said that the bids for the repair of the Apapa Oshodi/Tin Can Island Road was passing through the procurement process and that government was planning to reconstruct the network of roads on the Apapa/Tin Can Island/Oshodi road corridor to reduce congestion to the barest minimum.

“We will carry out some palliatives as soon as the procurement process is concluded. The high water table in Apapa requires proper design and adoption of rigid pavement to ensure longevity of our roads,” Eke said.