Daily Independent (Lagos)
Stella Odueme
27 November 2008
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, has estimated that the planned expansion of the 48-year-old Lagos-Badagry Expressway to a 10-lane expressway will cost about N220 billion. Fashola, who made this known recently, stated that the road design had been completed, and was elated at the prospective economic impact the project will have on the state and the country at large when completed. According to him, all that is left for the project to kick-off is for the consultants to go back and make consequential amendment.
Already, about 10 contractors have indicated readiness to re-construct the road to a 10-lane dual carriageway with light rail public transport on the median and a Bus Rapid Transit System that will transform the road to a super highway.
The companies that bid for the construction of the dual carriageway include Chinese Construction Engineering Company (CCECC), Arab Contractors, PW Nig Ltd, Hi-tech Construction Company Ltd, Moreno Marina Lagoon, Key - Based Ventures, Lekon Engineering Service Ltd, Salini Nig. Limited, Ugur- B-AS Construction Ltd and Sanju- Sunny Nig Ltd.
According to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Ganiyu Johnson, an engineer, Fashola's administration has exhibited a great deal of transparency in governance, as it is following due process in the execution of the project.
The reconstruction of the road project, which has been divided into three, is broken down as follows: Lot One- is the Eastern section of the road, which has a distance of 7.20km and is to commence from Eric Moore to Mile 2, while Lot Two consists of the Central Section, which has a distance of 24.5km and commences from Mile 2 to Agbara, while the Western Section is 28.57km long, which commences from Agbara to Badagry.
A review of the breakdown of the various companies and their interests indicates that Chinese Construction Engineering Company (CCECC) indicated interest to construct Mile 2- Agbara and Agbara-Badagry; Arab Contractors Nig Ltd (Eric Moore -Mile 2 - Agbara- Badagry); P.W Nig Ltd is to work on Eric Moore to Mile 2; Salini Nig Ltd from Eric Moore -Mile 2- Agbara to Badagry and CGGC Global Project Nig Ltd is to construct Mile 2 - Agbara - Badagry route.
Also, Hi- tech Construction Ltd is to construct Eric Moore - Mile 2-Agbara -Badagry route; Moreno - Marina Lagoon to construct Eric Moore -Mile 2-Agbara - Badagry, Key - Based Ventures to construct Eric Moore -Mile 2; Lekon Engineering Service Ltd indicated interest to construct Mile 2- Agbara - Badagry route while Ugur B-AS Construction Ltd is to construct Eric Moore -Mile 2 - Agbara- Badagry.
Johnson noted that all the bids, which were publicly offered in the presence of all the contractors, will now be appraised by his ministry and Advanced Engineering Construction Company- which is the state government consultant.
A project of this magnitude, no doubt, will be faced with many challenges as corroborated by Johnson.
"The project is a great engineering challenge to the government as well as to this administration particularly in its desire to provide an enduring infrastructure that will meet the mega city status of the state," he noted.
Chairman of the State Tenders Board, Mr. Rotimi Oyekan, who is also Commissioner for Finance, expressed the desire of the government to achieve the planned project. He added that at completion, it would open up investment opportunities in the state. "The project at completion will no doubt open up the entire corridor to more investment for the state government," he stated.
Perhaps, when the dream finally comes through, it would have permanently put to an end the hallowing experience of motorists and residents along that axis due to the chaotic nature of traffic on the road.
The unending bottleneck apart from the narrowness of the road is mostly caused by the activities of various security operatives, who have since seen the route as a very lucrative one where they could make money. This has been proved by the fact that despite their presence on the road, within short intervals, contraband goods still find their way into the state and the country at large.
Most times, the security operatives mount roadblocks and restrict motorists to a narrow path. The result has been unprecedented traffic gridlock leading to man-hour loss. Unfortunately, many of the security operatives also get killed by deadly smugglers, who are desperate to smuggle contraband goods into the state. In spite of the delicate nature of their job, many are still lured to collecting gratifications and in the process compromise their official duties. And for residents and motorists, these activities have reached a dangerous dimension, as innocent people could fall victims to stray bullets. Already, complaints abound about the activities of these security operatives, who mount roadblocks along the road.
Aside the roadblock issue, there have also been cases of criminal activities where people are dispossessed of their valuables due to perennial traffic logjam on the road. It was gathered that once it is late in the evening, robbers attack passengers from vehicle to vehicle in the traffic and sometimes those that resist or prove stubborn get killed in the process.
"I was nearly killed one day inside a commercial bus when the robbers struck. They were robbing from one bus to the other. As a result, some of us jumped out of the bus and they started shooting. It was God that saved us that day," said Miss. Ifeoma Ikpokpo.
It was gathered that a man was shot in the head after denying having a telephone handset, which unfortunately rang barely few minute afterwards.
Also those who reside in Agbara, Okokomaiko and Badagry and work in Apapa and the Island have been complaining bitterly about their experiences daily on the road.
They are quite happy that attention is being finally given to the 48-year-old road after many years of neglect. According to them, with the 10 lanes being proposed for the road, the era of spending countless hours on the road will be over.
"I cannot wait for the commencement of the project. There is no doubt that when eventually completed, our years of headache would have been given the right attention," stated Mr. Ben Olugbenga.
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