The Federal Government on Tuesday appealed for further
understanding and support of road users as work resumed on the Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway reconstruction/rehabilitation project.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Umar
Bakare, made the appeal while monitoring resumed work and laying of crash
barriers along construction zones between OPIC and Berger, on the Lagos-bound
lane.
Work was suspended on the expressway days back in
anticipation of the return of many holiday makers who would make use of the
highway on their way back to their destinations.
Their return was expected to increase traffic on the road,
hence the decision to remove barriers at the zone and suspend reconstruction
work to ease traffic.
A NAN correspondent who took a trip on the highway on
Tuesday morning reports that workmen were using heavy duty equipment to return
crash barriers on the OPIC section on the Lagos-bound carriageway.
Earth moving equipment and other equipment were also seen
grading and carrying out other construction activities.
Officials of TRACE turned back commercial vehicles who were
driving through the construction area to the main carriageway around OPIC.
Also, FRSC officials were seen at Berger New Garage Section
directing motorists and enforcing proper parking by commercial vehicles.
The controller told NAN that traffic architecture was
reviewed and impediments around Berger end were removed in collaboration with
traffic regulatory and law enforcement agencies.
Bakare said this was to ensure free flow of traffic to
prevent build up around the construction zones between OPIC and Kara on the
Lagos-bound carriageway.
He explained that commercial vehicles that usually picked
and dropped passengers around Berger usually slowed down movement.
This, he said, reduced the capacity of the road, hence the
move to create alternatives for them.
“We have created
barriers in some areas to keep them in check,” he said.
Bakare appealed to road users to be patient with the
construction, imbibe lane discipline and obey traffic laws, to prevent
gridlock.
He assured that the construction work on the section between
Kara and OPIC would be completed within 20 days with less traffic impact and
minimal stress to road users.
Earlier, a Federal Ministry of Works engineer, Adewale
Adebote, supervising section one of the project, told NAN that the whole of
Monday was spent reviewing traffic designs, leading to creation of an emergency
motor park.
He said a portion of land used by the contractor as yard for
construction at New Garage in Berger was used for the park to ease pressure on
commercial vehicles on the main carriageway.
“About three days ago, the traffic from that place
backlogged up till Wawa, that is why we had to quickly take action,” the
engineer said.
Adebote said that more space was also provided for vehicles
at the construction zone at OPIC to allow faster flow of vehicles.
“I have asked them (workmen) to make the space wide to
conveniently take two trailers,” he said.
He said construction work would be done to motorable layer
simultaneously at Kara and OPIC sections so that vehicles could use them
pending final layers that would be administered on the entire section.
“This construction will not cause gridlock,” Adebote
assured.
NAN
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