FG begins 72-Hour traffic diversion on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

Tayo AFOLABI

A 72-hour traffic diversion on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will begin today to enable the contractor handling the portion of the road project install a bridge beam.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola, said the diversion will begin around Makun section.

Popoola who let this out during inspection of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project however, appealed for understanding and urged the public to disregard rumours that the road would be closed.

He said traffic would be diverted on a stretch of just 400 meters around the construction zone where beams were to be laid on the flyover under construction at Makun near Sagamu Interchange.

The diversion according to him, would begin on today Wednesday, July 28 and end on Friday 30 July, a total of 72 hours (3 days)

Popoola explained, “The purpose of this inspection is to check the extent of the flyover bridges being constructed on this Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

“The contractor will launch this beam you are seeing on the ground here at Makun and that will take us about 72 hours to complete”.

Popoola said contrary to media speculations, it would only take 72 hours to launch the beams of the flyover because the diversion points had already been created about 400 meters away from the construction zone.

“Any vehicle coming from Ibadan that is approaching this Makun at kilometre 37 plus 100 will now have to shift to Lagos bound lane and then after this place, another 400 meters away, he will now come back to his lane originally.

“We are not closing the road. It is not partial closure and it is not total closure, motorists will still be allowed to move but there will be a diversion, 400 metres away and 400 meters after where we are working,” he said.

The controller said adequate road diversion signs had been provided and there would be a collaboration between traffic regulatory and law enforcement agencies to avert gridlock.

He appealed to motorists to be lane disciplined and obey all diversion signs and traffic laws and assured that there would be seamless movement on the highway.

He said increased alternative funding was speeding up construction works on the highway, assuring that both section one of the project being handled by Julius Berger and section two handle by RCC would be delivered in 2022.

Popoola said 31 kilometres of work had been completed to the final stage out of 43.6 kilometres of section one being handled by Julius Berger bringing the total completion to 76 per cent.

“We have achieved about 45 per cent completion of the bridge alone, if you add it together with the pavement work that we have done, the average completion percentage is in the neighbourhood of 76 per cent,” he said.