The Federal Government has said it will close part of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway for six weeks to enable the federal ministry of works to carry out repair work on the bridge.
The government said the expansion joints at Kara Bridge, Magboro Bridge and Arepo– Punch Bridge need to be maintained.
It added that closure was to enable critical rehabilitation works earlier suspended on the Lagos-bound section of Kara Bridge following public complaints over prolonged traffic congestion.
Meanwhile, some motorists have condemned the decision to close part of the road again, saying the minister is insensitive to the untold hardship on the road.
A Lagos-based political analyst, Seun Kessington, who spoke with our correspondent, wondered if those that were designated by the minister of works, Senator David Umahi to supervise the project had been telling him the truth, saying the government’s action is inhuman and baseless.
“It appears the minister of work and those working for him are not sincere enough about the condition of hardship on this road. How on earth would the government continue to close this road without providing alternatives to the motoring public. It is callous, baseless and inhuman. Do you know how many people have died over the years because of the substandard works done on this road? Do you know how many hours people waste on this road everyday in the name of traffic congestion caused by persistent repairs done on a road that government refused to commission? Sometimes they barricade the road for days without doing any work and both sides of the road will be closed down by traffic jam. Both the contractors and the ministry of work are sincerely wicked. In other climes, some heads supposed to have rolled because of this road. Well, we will go back home again to prepare for another six weeks of hardship but God knows what to do to those who are involved in the shady deals of Lagos-Ibadan expressway,” he said.
The Ogun State Federal Controller of Works, Michael Komolafe, who spoke at the Kara end of the bridge, apologised to motorists for the inconvenience and assured that improved traffic management arrangements would be put in place to ensure swift and durable repairs.
Komolafe explained that the expansion joints on the three bridges had deteriorated significantly, posing safety risks and contributing to crashes. He said the Minister of Works, David Umahi, had directed that urgent repairs be carried out.
He added that work had already been completed on half of the Lagos-bound sections of Magboro and Arepo–Punch bridges, while the remaining portions on the Ibadan-bound side would now be addressed.
The contractor and General Manager of CBC Construction Company, Andy Duan, said the repairs would take six weeks, with mobilisation of equipment to be completed over the weekend and full construction expected to begin on Monday, February 9.
He said, “At Kara Bridge, we have finished half of it. So we are facing the other half of it. Instead of causing traffic, that’s why we suspended the work temporarily. Now we are getting instructions from the Ministry of Works to resolve this issue.
“Actually, the condition of the expansion joint for Kara Bridge is very bad and always causing traffic accidents.
“Before we make the diversion, we are going to bring materials like barriers to protect the temporary working area and put traffic signs, warning signs and warning lights to make sure traffic moves safely and our workers are protected.
“We are supposed to start immediately, but we are shifting it to Monday. We expect to complete half of each expansion joint within a week. For the Ibadan-bound side, covering three bridges, we will divide the work into phases so each bridge takes about a week.”
