Respite for motorists as FG targets April to deliver Lagos-Badagry Road project

The federal government says the on-going reconstruction of the Lagos-Badagry-Seme border road project will be ready for commissioning in April 2025, noting that the Phase 1 of the project is now 80 percent completed.

This means the stressful driving experience which defines that corridor will soon be over, bringing relief and improved socio-economic activities in that corridor that witnesses huge trans-regional movement and trade.

David Umahi, Minister of Works, disclosed this during an inspection tour of the 24.3-kilometre ECOWAS route project, assuring that the government will do everything to encourage the contractor, China Geo Engineering Company (CGC), to complete the first phase of the project in April.

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The minister recalled that the entire project, phases 1 and 2, were awarded in October 2018 at a contract sum of 63 billion, disclosing that the government decided to concentrate on section 1 measuring 24.3 kilometres.

He added that, after reviewing section 1 alone, the cost stood at N71 billion, pointing out that when section 2 is added, on current prices, the total cost would be N145 billion.

Umahi inspected a number of projects in the cost of the inspection tour. These included the repairs of the Third Mainland Bridge, repair of the Eko Bridge, and the repair of the Carter Bridge, all in Lagos.

“We will also look at the Itoki-Ikorodu route. We will look at the Ikorodu-Sagamu route; we will inspect the rehabilitated Lagos-Ibadan route among others,” he said.

The minister said that, in the month of April, there will be scheduled visits to the entire six geopolitical zones to commission a number of projects that have been completed, especially the palliative projects.

According to him, of the projects totalling 271, over 90 percent has been completed. He lauded the contractors for their efficient work and encouraged them to continue to be one of the best in the industry.

The tour also took the minister to Lagos-Abeokuta Road, measuring 78 kilometres. The road which was awarded to Julius Berger about eight years ago has one carriageway completed fully while the other one is not yet done.

“The Ogun State government has taken off the section that is within the state and that’s about 60 kilometres. So, we are left with 18 kilometres.

I am aware that the African Plus wanted to reconstruct the road and toll it. But the problem was that the Ogun State government said they could not do the road and toll it. So, what the federal government has decided to do is to rehabilitate this section, 18 kilometers, within Lagos State,” he said.

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He revealed that what the government intends to do is to award the 18-kilometre stretch on reinforced concrete pavements and then wait for Ogun State government to finish their own.

After that, he said, they would take over the project on operate and maintain within that kind of programme.

“With this arrangement, the Ogun State government is going to have some benefits and the federal government will have benefits and, of course, the concessionaire,” he assured.