The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday, urged Nigerians to bear the pains resulting from the inconveniences of construction projects along major highways across the country.

Fashola, who made a live interview on Channels Television's Sunrise Daily, noted that most of the side roads that feed onto the main arterial roads are either state or local government roads.

He said: "Hopefully if we get there, I think that will be one option. We mean no harm. The last 6 km into Lagos on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, we deliberately left for the last because we knew it was going to be the most difficult to build because of the traffic, the density, and the human activity there.

"So, whilst places like the Second Niger Bridge and Bodo-Bonny, which are virgin projects, seem to be moving quite quickly, building through Abuja-Kano, Lagos-Ibadan, Ikorodu-Sagamu or Kano-Maiduguri that are trafficked every day have different logistic challenges.

"The construction site on a highway is a very difficult thing to manage, so you have to cut, divert, build and reopen. Those are the challenges, but we will get there. It's a bitter pill for a better life."

Speaking on the ongoing Lagos-Badagry Expressway construction, the Minister acknowledged the anxiety felt by the affected commuters, describing their "anxious" anticipation of announced completion dates as understandable.

He said: "Don't just take away the announcements we make about what is happening, but also the specifics to it. I had the privilege to start that project for a part of it when I was governor, but unfortunately at the time, not only were resources challenging, we were at the same time trying to build the Lagos rail, at the same time housing and so many things.

"But the main reason why we couldn't progress beyond the point where I left it around Mile 2 was that we had to relocate water and petroleum pipelines that sank under the road pavement itself.