The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Adedamola Kuti, on Wednesday announced the commencement of reconstruction of the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonsoki-Ojota Expressway.
He warned motorists to comply with traffic regulations at construction areas.
Mr Kuti, who was speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, assured that government would complete the reconstruction of the roads on schedule.
The stakeholders include truck owners associations, truck drivers associations, traffic regulatory agencies, ministry officials and law enforcement agencies.
The controller said the reconstruction would be divided into four sections and that the work was going to be done on all the sections simultaneously by different construction gangs.
He said that the stakeholders’ addressed issues of traffic management and regulations, assuring that traffic regulatory agencies would manage traffic better, adding that adequate diversion signs would be provided during the reconstruction.
“It is a 24-month contract and we want to finish within the period,” he asserted.
Mr Kuti said that alternative routes were being rehabilitated to ease congestion, calling for the cooperation of motorists.
The Lagos Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Hyginus Omeje, assured that traffic would be properly managed in collaboration with other agencies in the course of the reconstruction.
Mr Omeje, however, appealed to Lagos residents to use the waterways and mass transit buses to reduce congestion during the reconstruction.
He said that the FRSC was consulting with truck owners and drivers’ unions on how to evolve strategies to utilise some trucks parks under-utilised currently, to ease gridlock.
Ivan Bekker, Managing Director of Hitech Construction Company Ltd., the contractors handling the project on behalf of Dangote Group, said that some materials would be recycled for speedy completion of the work.
Mr Bekker said the recycled materials would be used to stabilise cement during the reconstruction.
“Once recycling stabilises, we will come in with the concrete pavement. After that is the finishing, which will not impact on traffic,” he said.
Olaleye Thompson, Chairman of the Amalgamated Container Truck Owners Union, promised to hold meetings with members of the union on how to remove trucks from the roads for ease of construction.
(NAN)
