Sanwo-Olu delivers 178km roads, 2.6km bridges in 2023, says Works Ministry
Ayodele Olalere
The Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Infrastructure, Olufemi Daramola and the Special Adviser on Works, Adekunle Olayinka, has said that the Lagos State government has completed and commissioned 172 roads translating to 177.93 kilometers in the last one year.
The duo further said pace of work has also increased on 253 other projects, totalling 298.22 kilometres of roads, 2.510 kilometres of bridge (2,510 metre) and 3.13km (3132 meters) that are currently ongoing in different parts of the state.
Daramola and Adeyinka made this known on Friday at a joint Ministerial Press Briefing to commemorate the first year of the second term in office of the administration of Sanwo-Olu and his Deputy ,Obafemi Hamzat at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja.
Daramola who expressed delight at some of the transformative infrastructural projects underway in Lagos, said these projects reflect the administration’s commitment to progress and development.
He mentioned some of the projects to include the 3.89km Ojota – Opebi link bridge which would be completed this year, the Abiola-Onijemo link road with 135m length bridge and a 643m length of road from College Road, through Ajayi Street, Ogba to Aruna/Obawole/Iju-Ishaga in Ifako-Ijaiye.
He said: “Infrastructural development remains a critical development vehicle for realising the Babajide Sanwo-Olu led administration’s T.H.E.M.E.S+ agenda and the greater Lagos vision of Africa’s model smart city, hence the delivery of new road projects, massive upgrading and rehabilitation of existing roads and construction of new bridges that have brought succour to the people and helped in delivering dividend of democracy to the citizenry.”
The Special Adviser also listed some of the ongoing roads under construction to include Babafemi Dada with bridge, Yinka Folarin-Jamiu Lawal-Shalom Academy road network in Alimosho Local Government Area which is a 1.57Km semi-rigid pavement road.
Others are the upgrading of Old Ojo road, Amuwo Odofin into a dual carriageway with a total length of 7km, the Eti-Osa – Lekki – Epe Expressway, which traverses Abraham Adesanya Intersection to Epe T-Junction with a total length of 47.88 Km, among others.
Engr. Daramola stressed that the provisions of roads would further drive development and open up the host communities.
He assured that all ongoing projects will be completed before the expiration of the tenure of Sanwo-Olu’s administration, adding that the state government has also vowed to deliver on some of its iconic projects such as the 150-bed New Massey Street Children’s Hospital, and the 280-bed General Hospital, Ojo.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Adekunle Olayinka who also gave accounts of the achievements of the ministry, said that the administration, through the Office of Works, has deliberately continued to invest in building infrastructure as one of the platforms used for discharging the social contract signed with Lagosians.
He mentioned some of the projects successfully constructed and maintained by the ministry to include the commercial court, Tapa, Lagos Island, renovation of the Lagos State Code of Conduct Bureau, Magistrates’ Court at Ikorodu, Ajegunle, Surulere, Yaba, Ajegunle, construction of Citizens’ Mediation Centre Offices, Alimosho, renovation of Magistrates’ Court at Ebute-Metta, J.I.C. Taylor Magistrate Court, Igbosere, Lagos Island, Igando, Ogba and Ikeja Magistrates’ Courts.”
Adekunle also mentioned the construction of Judges and Magistrates’ Quarters, Epe as part of projects completed in line with the policy to provide adequate and timely delivery of justice to the citizenry.
According to him, the administration has been providing infrastructural support to the Nigeria Police Force in order to deepen the operational efficiency of the security apparatus and agencies that enforce law and order in the State.
He said this has led to the construction of the Police Model Area Commands at Elemoro (Phase II) as well as the Police Model Station, Alausa.
On health, the Special Adviser also highlighted the importance the Sanwo-Olu administration placed on the restoration of public health infrastructure with the ongoing construction of a new Massey Street Children’s Hospital.