The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Mr Umar Bakare, has set up a special task force and assured motorists of extraordinary measures in place to ease gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
He spoke in Lagos on Friday, during inspection of section one of the project, after rising from a stakeholders meeting with law enforcement and traffic regulatory agencies.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders meeting, held at the Julius Berger Yard, Old Toll Gate, on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, had in attendance officials of the Federal Ministry of Works led by the controller.
Also in attendance were officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), the Nigeria Police and Julius Berger Plc., contractors on the project.
Addressing journalists after the inspection, Bakare said that all the issues causing impediments along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction and rehabilitation project were discussed and resolved during the meeting.
He said that the stakeholders had deployed strategies that would ensure moving traffic, adding that vehicular traffic could not be completely ruled out at construction points.
According to him, the contractor is under obligation to work till night hours to achieve speedy completion of the work by end of April or early May.
He said that the practical implementation of strategies discussed at the stakeholders meeting was reason for the inspection, and that improvement was already being seen with moving traffic experienced on Friday.
The controller further said that the meeting was to reassess efforts and review traffic architecture to reduce stress on road users, adding that the collaboration would continue.
”The section one of the project which spans Ojota in Lagos to Sagamu Interchange is over 93 per cent completed.
“The contractor has improved in the operations over the time. We have increased the locations and areas where we are working. We are doing this because of the time and weather,” he said.
Bakare appealed for understanding from road users, noting that the pace of work was affected by traffic because the construction sections were in densely populated areas.
Mr Kehinde Hamzat, the FRSC Corps Commander, Lagos Ibadan Expressway corridor, said that two tow trucks were on standby to promptly evacuate vehicles that broke down.
Hamzat said that more barriers were introduced to ensure lane discipline by motorists as part of measures to ensure flowing traffic around construction zones.
He gave assurance of an improved synergy of the traffic control and security agencies to ensure full compliance with traffic regulations at the flashpoints.
Also, the LASTMA representative, an Assistant Controller, Mr Jubril Oshodi, said the synergy would be more effective now because the strategies identified gaps were already being tackled.
Speaking, the TRACE Divisional Commander, Mowe Ibafo, Mr Ojerinde Kabiru, also gave assurance that TRACE operated 24-hour traffic management on the axis.
He said that the joint task force would not only ease gridlock but reduce road crashes. (NAN)