The tempo of construction works on the Lagos-Ibadan express road is soon to increase with the completion of the “new enhanced design” of the road and re-dedication of all stakeholders to its completion on schedule.
Giving this assurance while speaking with newsmen yesterday in Lagos, Mr. Hakeem Olopade, a director of Motorways Asset Limited, the project company partnering the Ministry of Works for the delivery of a fully enhanced Lagos-Ibadan Express Road, said the need for due process, enhancements to earlier design had largely been responsible for the slow pace of work on “the novel PPP-structured road.”
Mr. Olopade, who is also the Executive Director, Projects, at The Infrastructure Bank, TIB, Federal Government’s fund arrangers for the N167 billion road project, said the road remained the most crucial highway in the transport sector and could not be abandoned by the government.
The executive director said that TIB had successfully raised the Tranche I of the financing of the project in line with the expectations of the Federal Government and other stakeholders, while the Tranche II was being arranged.
He added that the stakeholders would maximize efficiency gains in the construction phases of the project to ensure its timely completion.
The executive director disclosed that financial obligations and commitments were being kept to keep the contractors on site, while the stakeholders finalize the new designs and geometric drawings and necessary development studies were also being finalized in good time ahead of full construction work resumption soon.
He, however, admitted that arrangement of funds for the project was “slightly slowed down by legal conundrum” occasioned by the 2012 termination of the former concessionaire agreements on the road.
Mr. Olopade also said that “the rains have also recently affected full blown construction activities as some asphalt works have to be suspended till the dry season.”
He said all lost construction grounds would be covered by the two construction giants— Julius Berger Plc and Reynolds Construction Company, RCC— once the rains are over.
Julius Berger handles the six-lane Shagamu Interchange and Lagos end of the road, while RCC handles the 84-kilometre Shagamu-Ibadan (Ojoo interchange) part of the road.
The road is made up of a two-lane dual carriage of 7.3-metre in both directions: 2.75-metre of outer hard shoulder and 1.8-metre of inner hard shoulder and median.
When completed, it is expected to be fully equipped with world-standard amenities that will eliminate the current hazards associated with the road, which was commissioned in 1978.
