Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction: Commuters, motorists agonise over gridlock

Forum 10 months ago

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway reconstruction: Commuters, motorists agonise over gridlock

FOR some days now, commuters, motorists and residents living along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, who ply the ever-busy expressway, have been passing through hell as a result of the ongoing unending reconstruction work on the road.

The truth of the matter is that it is not that the road users have not been going through pains resulting from the heavy gridlock on both sides of the dual carriageway before now. The untold hardship and pains have been there since the commencement of the reconstruction of the road by construction giant, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc about five years ago. But these few days beginning from last week Friday, the traffic situation has worsened thereby causing untold hardship on road users.

Specifically, starting from last week Friday, the whole stretch of the road was on lock down from morning to the early hours of Saturday for commuters and motorists due to the reconstruction of the expressway at Berger.

The effect of the barricade is responsible for massive traffic build-up on both sides of the road that is now causing commuters and motorists several hours to get to their destinations.

The gridlock continued Saturday and Sunday (yesterday). For Lagos-bound commuters and motorists, the gridlock was compounded by ram sellers and buyers at Kara Ram market as traffic extended from the long bridge to Berger yesterday.

Meanwhile, efforts to get the reaction of the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Engr. Olukorede Keisha, were unsuccessful.

Lagos proposes suspension for Sallah

However, Lagos State Government has urged the Federal Ministry Works and Housing to suspend further work till after the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Engr. Abdulhafiz Toriola, told Vanguard that the Ministry of Transportation has approached the Controller of Works in Lagos of the need to suspend further work along the axis to ease off expected influx of vehicles and reduce hardship during the coming Eid-el-Kabir, Muslim celebration, scheduled to commence on Wednesday.