The Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has given reasons for the renewal and upgrade of road infrastructure in the state, especially on the Eleko and Epe corridor where the Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway was reconstructed, completed and commissioned recently.
The 18.75-kilometre rural road stretching from Eleko to Epe T-junction has been upgraded from a two-lane roadway to a six-lane rigid concrete carriageway, thus ending its poor state arising from the upsurge in average daily traffic volumes that subjected its users to delay and hardship.
Sanwo-Olu noted at the commissioning of the expressway that, with its upgrade into six lanes, with street lights installation and dedicated tracks for trailers, the narrative has changed, adding that “motorists plying this route now enjoy stress-free commuting.”
The governor explained that the state government invests in infrastructure that impacts positively on the socio-economic well-being of the residents, recalling that before the intervention, the expressway was in critical condition, creating agony for travellers and causing pain in the movement of goods.
“Considering the correlation between infrastructure development and economic growth, this project will further set the Lekki-Epe corridor on the path of socio-economic prosperity and progress. As it is already known, the Lekki-Epe axis is fast emerging as an urban economic hub. It is, therefore, in order to sustain the pace of economic growth along the corridor that the government is investing in critical infrastructure.
The reconstruction of the Lekki-Epe Expressway is a project, we hope, will impact positively on the lives of residents, eliminate traffic gridlocks, drastically reduce the travel time of commuters, and businesses as well as improve the socio-economic activities around the axis,” the governor said.
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What the government commissioned was the first phase of the project. The second phase, according to the governor, would be done in two segments. This is for ease of funding and to reduce the traffic impact of the construction work on commuters.
He said that the 18.6km first segment would take off from Eleko to Awoyaya and to critical sections around Majek and Ogidan. Second segment, which is 11km, will kick off at Ogidan to Abraham Adesanya Roundabout.
Since its inception in 2019, in view of the indispensability of quality and access roads to social-economic development, the administration of Sanwo-Olu has accorded road construction and rehabilitation utmost consideration in the scheme of things.
This is not surprising since a major pledge of the governor is to attain a ‘Greater Lagos’ through infrastructure development. It is, thus, in a bid to sustain current efforts at improving road infrastructure across the state that the administration embarked on the reconstruction and upgrade of the phase 1 of the expressway.
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“No doubt, the Lekki axis has become a major industrial and commercial hub in the state and, indeed, the country. The Lekki Free Zone, Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Seaport among others, are all sited at the zone. Considering the economic viability of the axis, the reconstruction of the Eti-Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway would certainly aid socio-economic activities in the zone, thereby giving investors better value for their money.
The Eti Osa-Lekki-Epe corridor is strategically important to the state’s economic prosperity, hence the completion of the project would further strengthen Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to inclusive development.
In view of current development and realities, especially Alaro City in the Lekki Free Trade Zone among other Public-Private Partnership projects going on in the area, there is no doubt that a new Lagos is sure to birth from the Epe division of the state.
With the current pace of infrastructure development across the state, it is quite clear that Lagos State is on the fast track towards bridging its road infrastructural deficit. The once familiar narrative of bad and broken roads is now changing for good.
