Motorists lament gridlock as Oshodi-Apapa repair continues

The pains of motorists on the Oshodi-Apapa expressway continued yesterday just as the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Adedamola Kuti, disclosed that construction work has commenced simultaneously on various sections of the highway.

Kuti told newsmen that Hitech Construction Company Ltd, the contractor handling the project on behalf of Dangote Group, was working on various sections to speed up construction. He, however, said the rainy season was slowing down the pace of work.

“Work is ongoing on section one, that is Liverpool/Creek Road, work is also going on in section three, that is around Pallet Bus Stop, work is also going on around the Gbagada side. Work is ongoing on all the three sections simultaneously even preparing the ground for equipment to come in and other things. The first section is Liverpool Road up till Beach Land, the second section is Cele up to Anthony. Then from Anthony to Gbagada to Oworonsoki to the toll gate is the third section.”

But while works go on, users of the busy expressway are daily going through nightmares due to the traffic snarl, which sometimes paralyses movement on the five-lane route, with motorists spending hours to navigate through the tankers and trailers parked on the expressway.

The pain is further aggravated by the state of the inner-city roads adjoining the route along the express. Commercial buses drive against traffic with reckless abandon. The situation has made some car owners abandon their vehicles at home and trek to their destinations.

Mr. Ojo Adebere, who lamented the unending hassles for motorists said the state government should speed up its road rehabilitation efforts on major arteries in the state to reduce the pressure on the busy highways.

“Everywhere you go in Lagos is now a bottleneck. Your movement is difficult to plan because of the traffic you encounter at every point. Due to the construction work on the Oshodi-Apapa expressway, access roads through Cowbell/Abimbola Way, Mushin road, Osolo way into Isolo, Ire-Akari to Ago Palace way should be made roadworthy and upgraded as a relief while repair work continues on the highway.”