ISOLO-EJIGBO-IKOTUN ROAD: A Pain That’s Not Over Until It’s Over

• Flyovers, Bypasses Needed • Govt Slows Down On Rehab

COMMUTING on the Isolo-Ikotun road reminds one of a raving lunatic who has begun to respond to treatment. Although, he no longer hurls missiles at passersby, no one wants to lie with him on the same bed either.

Bold motorists, who attempted to ply the notorious route two years to the day (October 4, 2015), always arrived home with tales of nerve-wracking gridlock. Unlike now, when the ‘mad’ road is gradually recovering, commuters, at the time had several traffic bottlenecks to contend with.

First is the tale of two bridges: the entire stretch from the Iyana Isolo bridge to the Oke Afa bridge was a commuters’ nightmare. So many other roads feed the narrow motorway. With vehicles pouring in and exiting, especially, at peak periods, commuters were forced to go tortoise-like. The worst feeder, of course, was the much wider but deplorable Okota road, which dumped heavy traffic from the Mile 2 axis to the lean road. Today, Okota road has witnessed remarkable rehab.

Second is the Oke Afa bridge-Jakande traffic horror. With bad road leading immediately to Jakande, coupled with the terrible Jakande-Ijegun road, which might have absorbed the massive exhaust spewing horde, road users had a field day raining curses on all things Lagos State government. Today, Jakande-Ijegun road is back from the dead, and a section of the deplorable stretch that terminates at Jakande (from Oke Afa) has been rehabilitated.

Third, and most monstrous, is the Iyana Ejigbo stretch. Even adjectives shied away whenever they were invited to describe the traffic situation in the area. Needless to say, it was the point on the Isolo-Ikotun road when many a husband phoned his wife and family with sworn reassurances that he had not absconded and would still wriggle his way home at 12pm!

Today, a rehabilitated, but fast deteriorating bypass takes anxious commuters away from the stretch, and besides, ongoing rehabilitation and palliative at the section, and further down the road after Egbe bridge, have significantly reduced the dread of passing through the place. The opening of the Oke Afa-Ajao Estate road has also reduced the mass of traffic plying the route.

Fourth is the stretch that spans Synagogue Church and Ikotun roundabout. The bustling market, coupled with the very bad road, and commercial buses picking passengers right at the circumference made commuting a frustrating experience. Today, the road has been rehabilitated, but the drivers and traders who encroach on the road are unrepentant.

If the ‘mad’ road has made laudable recovery, perhaps, road users should waive the negative sides and induct it into the hall of ‘healthy’ thoroughfares in the metropolis. Foul!

The initial speed with which the Governor Ambode-led administration commenced rehabilitation of the road two months ago has slowed down remarkably. That, of course, means that once in a while, the notorious gridlock rears its head at Iyana Ejigbo. The traffic jam at Jakande would never be completely cured even if the road were paved with gold. Only a flyover would do the trick, sparing many commuters who have no business turning into Jakande Estate. The bottleneck at Ikotun roundabout begs the opening of bypasses. Many commuters plying the Ikotun traffic heartland are simply weary Lagosians headed for Igando, Okerube, Ijegun, Governor’s Road or Idimu.

With Isolo-Ikotun as major artery in Alimosho Local Government (LGA), residents of the area need nothing but an excellent road. After all, Lagos is as much a ‘Centre of Excellence’, as Alimosho is the largest LGA in the state.