The completed sections of the Lagos/Badagry Expressway project would be opened to motorists in the first quarter of 2017, to ease traffic congestion on the road, a top official of the CCECC, contractors handling the project, said in Lagos on Sunday.
The China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC) official, who craved anonymity, told newsmen that Phases 1 and 2 of the road project, which cover between the Iganmu Interchange and the Trade Fair, would be completed by 2017.
He added that the Third Phase of the project, which covers between the Trade Fair and Okokomaiko, is, however, scheduled for completion by 2019.
“The present reconstruction and expansion of the road will terminate at Afromedia, near Okokomaiko.
“The First Phase covers from the Iganmu Interchange to the FESTAC Town Second Gate at Agboju, while the Second Phase, between Agboju and the Trade Fair, will be ready for use by early 2017.
“But we are determined to conclude the entire project by 2019,’’ he said.
The official, however, said that certain challenges had delayed the project in the past.
“We have been having challenges on the road project and that has resulted to some delay in our work.
“We had to stop work for three years, from 2013 to this year, to allow NNPC to be able to relocate their pipelines buried between Alakija and Abule-Ado.
“They finally completed the relocation of those pipelines in October, and you can see for yourself that serious work is going on there now,’’ he said.
He said that the Third Phase of the project was also experiencing delays at the Military Cantonment in Ojo.
The CCECC official, however, assured that the Lagos State Government was collaborating with the Federal Government and the military authorities to resolve the challenge.
“The issue is that at the military barracks at Ojo, part of the fence has to give way for the road expansion project, but we cannot do that immediately due to the sensitive nature of their work.
“The Lagos State Government is, however, engaging them to see the best way we can achieve our aim, without compromising security,” he said.
The company official also said that their engineers were designing an overhead bridge on the road at Alakija, to permanently solve perennial gridlock around the Third Gate of FESTAC Town.
“As you know, that area is a high-traffic area.
“We will construct an overhead bridge over the FESTAC Town Third Gate, so that motorists going towards Badagry can use the bridge, while those coming from FESTAC Town to Mile 2 can turn under the bridge.
“This will go a long way to ease the traffic situation there,” he said.
