Motorists and other users of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway are to experience more hardship following the announcement of a fresh diversion by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
The fresh diversion of traffic owes to the alleged slow pace of work by the contractor handling the ongoing rehabilitation and reconstruction works on the highway.
This disclosure is contained in a statement issued on Sunday, June 18, 2023, by the FRSC Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, on Sunday, disclosed that the traffic has been diverted from linking the expressway at New Garage Lagos.
The 127.6-kilometer-long expressway connecting Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, and Lagos, Nigeria’s biggest city is said to be the busiest inter-state route in the country.
However, the project awarded to Julius Berger and Reynolds Construction Company at a sum of N167 billion had been replete with a series of delays and setbacks, pushing its completion to the regime of the new administration.
The government attributed the change of plans to the delay in the non-completion of a critical section in the 4-kilometer last mile to Lagos due to the discovery of black-cutting soil under the pavement.
Bisi Kazeem stated that in the new diversion, traffic from Isheri Olowora passing through River Valley Estate to link the expressway inward to Lagos has been diverted to pass through Babcock College, opposite Enyo filling station to link the expressway and drive into Lagos.
“Alternatively, they could pass through Ojodu and make a U-turn in front of FRSC Ojodu to link the expressways at BRT Bus-stop.”
Kazeem said the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, has directed the FRSC Commands along the corridor to ensure hassle-free movement of commuters.
“FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali Biu while directing the FRSC Commands along the corridor to ensure minimum hardship on behalf of commuters also enjoins the motoring public along the route to exercise maximum patience and cooperate with the law enforcement agencies along the said routes.’’
