Completed, Apapa-Ojota road to last for 40 years– Fashola

The Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonsoki-Ojota highway network when completed will last for 40 years.

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, announced this when inspecting the rehabilitation of the highway on Sunday.

Fashola, who inspected the project alongside the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, said the Federal Government was committed to “speedy completion of the highway to provide a lasting solution to the problems of bad roads and gridlock’’.

The minister assured that the N72.9 billion project would be completed by the end of 2020.

He, however, appealed for understanding of road users as the roads go through curing process, saying that President Buhari’s mandate was to build long-lasting and enduring roads.

He said the road reconstruction was creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs and at the same time, advancing commerce because of the local content going into the work.

Fashola explained that the project was creating wealth with thousands of trucks conveying iron rods, cement and other locally-sourced raw materials to sites where some 650 people were directly employed on various projects.

“Businesses have started coming back on Liverpool Road because the road closed earlier is now back. You will see more of that.

“All of the businesses that are shut on Creek Road will come back. We expect to see property redevelopment and property renewal once the road is completed.

“Once the economy of Apapa returns, all the clearing and forwarding, shipping, newspaper companies and all others doing business will resume fully and the economy will bounce back.’’

He commended the private public partnership scheme with Dangote, expected to finance the reconstruction from the Nigerian Ports Authority in Apapa through various areas to the old Toll Gate at Ojota, on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The minister pointed out that section two of the project, which was not part of the original contract was already showing signs of failure, due to heavy traffic.

“We are at the Oshodi area now and one side has been concluded and opened to traffic and this is how we intend to continue to complete and open, until we finish the entire road.’’

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mr Adedamola Kuti, lamented that some utilities in the right of way of the project around Apapa GRA were slowing down construction.

Kuti said that some sections of the road around Apapa GRA, Creek Road and Oshodi were being reinforced with 200mm concrete.

He disclosed that extra layers were also being put in place for durability, strength and levelling up with drainage levels to check flooding.

Motorists will have to endure additional 12 months of nerve-breaking traffic as the road is expected to be completed by the end of year 2020.