Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, on Sunday evening, declared a state of emergency on various dilapidated highways and carriages within the state, beginning from Monday, October 14, 2019.
Speaking at the end of a series of meetings with representatives of eight multi-national engineering firms, which lasted about three hours, Sanwo-Olu declared the commencement of major construction work on the identified highways considered critical to easing traffic congestion in the state.
Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye, listed some of the critical highways and roads to be constructed to include the Ojota stretch of the Ikorodu Road, Motorways-Kudirat Abiola Way, Apogbon Highway, Babs Animashaun Road, Agric/Ishawo Road and Ijede Road in Ikorodu, and Lekki-Epe Expressway from Abraham Adesanya to Eleko Junction.
A statement by Gboyega Akosile, chief press secretary to the governor, quoted Ms. Adeyoye as saying there would also be massive re-construction work on a network of roads in Ikoyi, Ikeja GRA, and Victoria Island.
The contractor deployed by the government included Julius Berger, Hitech, Arab Contractors, Metropolitan Construction, Slavabogu Construction, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), Rajaf Foundation Construction, and RCF Nigeria Limited.
The governor said the firms had been mandated to immediately mobilise their equipment to the sites and commence major construction works on the identified roads, beginning with palliative works.
“The contractors have been given the mandate to start mobilizing their equipment to their respective sites without further delay. Their activities must first give our people an immediate relief on the affected roads so that there can be free flow of traffic even during the rehabilitation work,” he stressed.
To complement the major construction work on the highway, Sanwo-Olu said Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC) would be carrying out repairs of 116 inner roads across the state.
This, he said, would be in addition to over 200 roads already rehabilitated by the corporation in the last three months.
The governor acknowledged the pain experienced by road users in the past few days, which was compound by the persistent downpour. He appealed to residents to bear with the Government while efforts were being made to assuage their pains and bring permanent relief to them.
He said: “We expect the rains will begin to subside in this month of October and this is why we are mobilising our contractors to immediately start the major construction work on the identified highways and bring permanent relief to residents. I am giving all Lagosians the assurance that the contractors will start the construction in earnest and will deliver on the terms of agreements reached with them.”
Sanwo-Olu said officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) will be working round the clock to control traffic on the areas where the construction would take place.