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Notwithstanding last week’s pledge by the Lagos State Government to engage with the Federal Government to resolve the issue, particularly near the Kara Bridge/Berger-OPIC axis, drivers have bemoaned the allegedly poor pace at which construction is progressing, which has caused gridlock.
Speaking on Sunrise Daily on Friday, Mr. Bakare said they were on track to finish the road project, but the poor progress was due to the CBN’s monetary policies and the lack of fuel.
The main carriageway will be delivered as part of the project’s first phase from point 00, or 7Up, up to the Shagamu interchange. We had stated that we will deliver by the end of this quarter.
“We did not anticipate the fuel scarcity issue that hindered job progress, the cash crunch issue that eventually affected work progress,” the man claimed.
The Controller also mentioned his optimism that by April, when the partial completion will be complete, the inconveniences experienced by drivers on the roadway will lessen.
This time, he remarked, “among other things, we are looking at the end of April, give or take.”
The contractor has consented to work until the wee hours.
Speaking about his action plans to build the Lagos-Ibadan expressway on schedule, Mr. Bakare said negotiations to allow the contractor to work past sunset had been successful.
He explained that in order to finish and deliver these projects on time, the contractor now works from daylight until night.
The problem of security is one of the things we are carefully considering since we have been discussing night work with the contractor.
The contractor just consented to work late into the night, but not overnight. At some of the places where we are working right now, they have been working till 9 p.m. for the previous week,”
Mr. Bakare urged people to refrain from stepping through the barricades into the work zone because they risk getting hurt by the machinery there.
People frequently cross the street to enter construction zones, and this has prompted complaints about safety, he admitted.
“Since we deal with moving machinery all the time, it is quite difficult to just control people who just pass these barriers on foot or in automobiles this time. They are exposed to danger.”
“Safety boots, helmets, and other protective gear are used to keep the workers well-protected.”
