Following the approval of the engineering drawing by the relevant agencies of the government last month, the Lagos State Government on Monday, flagged off reconstruction activities on the 10-lane Oshodi-International Airport Road. The project will be completed in the next 15 months.
It would be recalled that Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, had within the period he was the Acting President, hurriedly approved two strategic, but long overdue demands of the Lagos State Government which include handover of the national State House, Marina and approval to reconstruct and toll Airport road.
Details from the Ministry of Infrastructure showed that the design of the project include the reconstruction and expansion of the existing carriage to three-lane Expressway on both directions, construction of two-lane Service Road in both directions, construction of Ramp Bridge to provide a U-turn from Ajao Estate to Airport, construction of a flyover at Nahco/Toll Gate and drainage works.
Also included in the new designed are the removal of existing Pedestrian Bridge at Ajao Estate and construction of Pedestrian Bridges at Ajao Estate and NAHCO/Hajj Camp, construction of Slip Road to provide access to Ajao Estate, construction of Lay-bys and installation of Street Lights, among others.
In his remarks during the official flag off, the State’s Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Engr. Adebowale Akinsanya said the commencement of the project was in line with the commitment of the present administration to transform the entire axis, being the major gateway to the country’s commercial nerve centre.
According to him, the State Government took it upon itself to undertake the reconstruction of the road being one of the busiest roads in the State with vehicular volumes averaging 50,000 vehicles daily, and that its poor state was not acceptable for the status of the State as the fifth largest economy in Africa and the nation’s commercial hub.
Already, several buildings and fences along the road had been marked for demolition which began Monday and will continue to give Right of Way for the new multibillion naira scheme.
However, to avoid compensation and related crisis, Akinsanya averred that as part effort to carry everybody along in the scheme, a stakeholders’ meeting will hold on Thursday to sensitize the people whereby they will have an opportunity to ask the necessary questions.
Besides, three groups of workers will work on the project and they would work day and night, while upon completion, the project will be linked to the Oworonshoki reclamation project, which is also ongoing and is aimed at transforming the corridor to a major entertainment and tourism hub.
He said the new 10-lane highway will be delivered to complement the emerging new central Oshodi structures currently coming up at the flyover interchange.
