Hope rises on lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

 

Nigerians, who are set to travel for the end-of-Ramadan celebration through the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, have been promised a smooth ride, as palliative works on the highway was being completed far ahead of the 60-day ultimatum given by the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen.

The company's Head of Communications, Mr. Dipo Kehinde, in a statement made available to THISDAY yesterday, said that Bi-Courtney had completed the patching and overlaying of some bad portions of the highway, preparatory to full-scale reconstruction, being handled by the company and a leading South-African firm.

It would be recalled that the Works minister had on July 23, 2011, directed the concessionaire, Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited, to complete the palliative works by September 30, by which time the weather would be friendlier for the expected reconstruction of the 105-kilometre highway, acclaimed to be the busiest in the country.

While thanking Nigerians for their understanding, Kehinde said: “Road users demand satisfaction, and that’s what we shall give them. We thank God for removing, day by day, every obstacle on the path of this project. This is the road to prosperity; we shall deliver it in good time, and we shall make it a source of pride to President Goodluck Jonathan and all Nigerians.

“Notwithstanding all the political hurdles on the path of progress, Bi-Courtney has been working on the road, improving the shoulders and clearing the bushy median to improve drivers’ vision on the road.
“We have embarked on massive earthworks to free the road from refuse encroachment, repair the shoulder and cut a side ditch for adequate drainage to open up blocked drainages,” he said.


“We have worked over a stretch of 600 metres at Ibafo, along the southbound carriageway, where a total of 570 metres length has been cleared and backfilled. This work has contributed appreciably to ease traffic congestion normally experienced along the stretch.

He disclosed that the company yesterday commenced work on the most critical portion at the Aramed end of the highway, near Ibadan.

“We have been using two gangs for overlay, and two gangs for patching. And, so far, we have used over 5000 tons of asphalt which the concessionaire is buying at enormous cost,” he said.