The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Adedamola Kuti, says government is adopting hands-on measures to curb gridlock and ensure smooth drive on the Lagos-Badagry expressway ahead of Christmas.
Kuti told journalists that government would endeavour to ensure free-flowing traffic in spite of ongoing construction works.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kuti had led a delegation of traffic regulatory agencies and ministry officials on an inspection of the highway after a meeting with relevant stakeholders in Badagry.
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He said that human and vehicular traffic usually increased during the Yuletide as a result of increased economic activities, hence the need to adopt measures to surmount obstacles on the highway.
“We are here today to address issues surrounding gridlock on this axis from Omokomaiko toward Agbara to Badagry to Seme Border.
“Federal Government does not want gridlock as we move towards Christmas.
“There are construction works ongoing on this corridor and as we move towards the Christmas, we want free movement; we do not want gridlock on this axis.
“We came along to have a meeting with the relevant stakeholders on this axis which include the chairmen of the three local governments, youth leaders, traffic regulatory agencies, traditional rulers and other agencies in the Badagry Senatorial District.
“The agenda of the meeting was to collaborate to fashion out a way to ensure that there is no gridlock during this Christmas season, there must be free movement. And we do not want any gridlock that will be as a result of construction or any other thing within this corridor,” he said.
Kuti added that an agreement was reached to use construction materials provided by people within the council, adding that, the community had given assurances of its support for ease of construction.
He said that section three of the project, which spans from Agbara to Seme border, being supervised by the Federal Ministry of Works was barely about six per cent completed.
“Work is progressing, the most important is that the contractor is fully on ground working on various sections,’’ he said.
Mrs Olukorede Keisha, the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing engineer supervising the project on section three, added that the contractor was working on a schedule to regain time lost to the raining season.
“The rain here in Badagry has been more than the one in the city, if it rains once in the city, here it would be 10 times and it has impeded progress, but as we are approaching the dry season, the contractor is fully mobilised to confront the project,’’ she said.
Mr Rufus Onimisi, the South West II Zonal Coordinator of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said that rehabilitation works being done by the agency on section two, which spans from Okokomaiko to Agbara, was progressing.
“We have done a lot of palliative work to make the road motorable while the new construction has started, for now a lot of drainage works have been put in place and still ongoing.
“And now that the rain is gradually coming to an end, we expect to see more permanent work on the main carriageway,’’he said.
Onimisi said that the project was about 12 per cent completed, comprising drainage, kerbs and stone base works on the highway.
Mr Hyginus Omeje, the Lagos Sector Commander of the Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), said that the support of transport unions and other relevant stakeholders was sought and won during the meeting in Badagry.
Omeje assured that the four commands of the FRSC on the Badagry axis were going to deploy adequate personnel to ensure free flowing traffic.
He said that traffic was inevitable during peak hours and while moving construction materials to site, but that the FRSC would ensure it must always be free flowing one with its perfect management strategy.
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He said that the FRSC would work alongside the police and other traffic regulatory agencies in the state.
NAN reports that Kuti later led a delegation of ministry officials on a visit to the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure in Alausa where he and other top state officials briefed the press.
They took turns to speak on various road projects in the state and interventions adopted by both the Federal and Lagos State Government to ensure smooth traffic. (NAN)