The Federal Government and Hitech Construction Company, the contractor handling Apapa-Oshodi Expressway reconstruction project, have urged for the cooperation of motorists, Apapa residents, business owners, port users, security agencies, and sundry stakeholders as reconstruction work commences on the road.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the contractor will be mobilising fully to site on Monday next week for full-scale reconstruction work on the 32-kilometre expressway, which was constructed between 1975 and 1978 but has not received a comprehensive maintenance despite its dilapidated condition.
The reconstruction work, flagged off last year by the Federal Government, is being undertaken by the Dangote Group, which will be spending an estimated N72 billion it would have paid as tax to the Federal Government on the road reconstruction.
Adedamola Kuti, Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, noted at a stakeholders meeting Wednesday, that there would be discomfort and inconveniences, particularly on motorists and residents during the reconstruction work, hence the call for cooperation and understanding of all concerned.
The contractor disclosed that the entire expressway had been segmented into four sections and work will be going on simultaneously on all the sections, adding that there would be diversions of traffic from the main carriage way to the service lanes and vice versa.
“The road will be reconstructed in four sections and each section will also be done in phases. In some cases, the entire road will be closed; there will also be cases where the main carriageway will be closed and traffic diverted to the service lanes and vice versa,” Ivan Bekker, Hitech’s managing director, stated at the stakeholder’s meeting.
Bekker noted that the only way to ensure completion of the reconstruction work on schedule was the cooperation of motorists by following diversions, obeying traffic signs and avoiding driving against traffic, which would lead to gridlock and congestion.
The Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC) and other stakeholders including truck owners, Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), the army, LASTMA, etc, however assured the contractor and the motoring public that there would be free flow of traffic on all the routes to Apapa during the reconstruction period.
Hygenius Omeje, the FRSC Sector Commander in Lagos, assured that just like what happened during elections, all the trucks currently parked on roads and bridges would be made to return to their respective parks.
He added that the little hitches that led to the collapse of the manual call up system for truckers would be addressed so that trucks that did not have any business at the ports would not be seen in Apapa and environs.
Emmanuel Akporherhe, port manager, Tin Can Island Port, NPA, also assured that they would improve port operations to ensure that there would be no congestion at the ports.
He disclosed that plans were already underway to digitalise and automate the call up system in order to free it from manipulation and compromise.
Truck owners also disclosed a grand plan they had to ensure that the trucks were taken off the expressway to allow for free movement of construction vehicles and materials.
“We have been meeting and will be meeting again tomorrow (Thursday) to ensure that before work starts on the expressway by Monday next week, all trucks must have been taken off the roads and bridges,” assured Olaleye Thompson, who represented Amalgamation of Container Truck Owners at the meeting.
The Apapa-Oshodi Expressway which is one of the only two major routes to Nigeria’s two busiest seaports – Apapa and Tin Can – has been in deplorable condition in the last decade. Dangote has engaged the services of Hitech Construction Company to undertake the reconstruction work, which is scheduled to be completed in 24 months.
