The Lagos State Government completed and reopened
the Ojota and Maryland sections of the Odo Iya Alaro Bridge, yesterday Monday,
September 16, 2024, which will allow motorists to use both sides of the bridge
immediately.
Speaking during the official reopening of the
Bridge to motorists, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed the readiness of
the bridge for public use.
He added that his administration focused on road
and bridge infrastructure to reduce travel time - save important man-hours that
would have been otherwise lost to traffic, boost interconnectivity, provide
better riding surface, eliminate traffic gridlocks and generally make life more
meaningful to Commuters in Lagos State.
Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr.
Obafemi Hamzat said when partial failures were noticed on some structural
members and expansion joints of some bridges within the State, and considering
the attendant safety issues and traffic disruption generated, the state
government responded by embarking upon continuous reinstatement and maintenance
works on all the bridges across the State.
The Governor noted that many bridges are due for
routine maintenance and some, like Kodesoh, Oke-Afa, and Asolo Bridges, have
been rehabilitated while the repair works on Odo Iya Alaro have just been
concluded.
He noted that the wilful abuse and pilfering of
road infrastructure furniture has re-enacted the need for zero tolerance for
the recurrent spate of misuse of roads and bridges across the State.
“To ensure the sustainability of these recently
repaired sections of the bridge and boost efforts at revamping and revitalizing
our roads/bridges as well as the massive abuse of Government Infrastructure, I
must reiterate our resolve as a Government to tackle infrastructure abuse and
other security threats brought about by the misuse of our roads and bridges
head-on”, the Governor said.
He, however, urged the people to join hands with
the government, to assume responsibility for the bridge by ensuring that they
continue to protect it.
The Special Adviser, Office of Infrastructure
Engineer Olufemi Daramola said the bridge which had been closed to traffic for
months was completed and re-opened to traffic ahead of schedule because
Government was eager to alleviate the suffering of road users.
He recalled that work started on the Ojota-bound
side of the Bridge on 22nd July 2024 and finished on 23rd August 2024. While
work commenced on the second phase, that is Maryland-bound section on the 23rd
of August, 2024 and finished on the 13th of September, 2024, which is 54 Days
after commencement.
While noting that the initial proposed completion
period was 90 days due to the failure of the expansion joints and the
deplorable state of the asphalt pavement on the Bridge, Daramola said the
present administration was, however, able to complete the renewal and upgrade
of the first and second phase of the critical infrastructure ahead of schedule.
The Special Adviser said the Government is not
unmindful of the inconvenience the maintenance works had on commuters and
commended the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, The Rapid Response Squad
of the Lagos State Police Command (RRS) and the Lagos State Traffic Management
Authority (LASTMA) for supporting the contractors on site to ensure the
delivery of the maintenance works ahead of time.
Commissioner for Works, Oluwaseun Osiyemi expressed deep appreciation to road users for their patience and cooperation during the closure, stressing that their willingness to navigate alternative routes, despite the challenges, played a key role in ensuring the swift progress recorded on the project.