… Reopens Bridge for Public Use at Ojota/Maryland
… Declares Zero Tolerance for Infrastructure Abuse
The Lagos State Government completed and reopened the Ojota and Maryland sections of the Odo Iya Alaro Bridge, today, 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.
