The Lagos State Government has pledged that there will be minimal inconvenience for road users and residents during the reconstruction of Turnbull and Parkview intersections along the Gerrard Road corridor in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The state Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement on the proposed junction improvement project held in Ikoyi on Thursday.

Osiyemi said the project was designed to address traffic challenges around the intersections and improve the flow of vehicles along the corridor.

“What we are doing here is actually junction improvement work at the intersection. The whole idea is to enhance that intersection in such a way that we reduce congestion,” he said.

He explained that the government had explored different options to address traffic challenges in the area but had to develop a solution that would be acceptable to residents and other stakeholders.

According to him, the project is expected to improve existing traffic conditions while minimising inconvenience to road users and residents.

The Director of Transport Engineering at the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Engineer Bolaji Folarin Bada, said the project would involve the improvement of two junctions through the introduction of channelised traffic flows, acceleration and deceleration lanes.

He explained that the existing junctions posed challenges because some roads joined the major road at approximately 90 degree angles.

“The design concept for the two junctions is simple. The idea is to make sure that you don’t have a lock-down of Alexander Road,” Bada said.

He said the Turnbull junction would be redesigned to allow a more seamless flow of vehicles onto Alexander Road, with a channelised island introduced to control traffic movement.

At the Parkview junction, he said the project would provide separate inflow and outflow movements, including acceleration and deceleration lanes, to reduce interference with traffic along Alexander and Gerrard roads.

Bada added that construction activities would largely be concentrated within the road reservation to minimise disruption, while major connections to the existing road would be carried out with minimal interference to traffic.

The commissioner said the government would also work closely with residents and owners of utilities to prevent disruptions to essential services during construction.

He noted that the area contained several underground facilities, including fibre-optic cables, water infrastructure and electricity installations.

“First, we will engage with residents and also with utility owners to ensure that in trying to solve a problem, we are not creating another problem,” Osiyemi said.

“We have a lot of fibre, we have the Water Corporation, we also have electricity. So it is important to do these things responsibly and professionally so that we don’t interrupt people’s lives.”

He added that construction activities would be managed around traffic patterns, with work reduced or suspended during peak periods and intensified during off-peak hours.

“We are going to work in conjunction with the people, the residents. Meaning that during peak periods, we will slow down the work or not work at all, and during off-peak periods, we will pick up the work,” he said.

The contractor handling the project, Engineer Folorunsho Owolabi of Concept Limited, assured stakeholders that measures would be put in place to maintain traffic flow throughout the construction period.

Owolabi said the contractor was targeting the completion of the project within three months, although Osiyemi said the project had a six-month timeline and expressed confidence that it could be completed earlier.

He added that physical construction would commence after the ministry concludes the necessary designs, mobilisation and engagement with relevant stakeholders.

Chairman of the Banana Island Residents Association, Mr Bidemi Sonoiki, said discussions surrounding the project had been ongoing for about a year following concerns over persistent traffic congestion around Banana Island.

“This whole journey started about a year ago when we noticed continuous traffic around Banana Island and Banana Island Road,” Shonaike said.

He commended the Lagos State Government for accommodating the project in its budget and expressed optimism that it would improve movement for residents and other road users.

Similarly, the Chairman of Parkview Estate welcomed the project, describing it as a step in the right direction.

The chairman said the estate had continued to keep residents informed about the proposed project and would provide further updates following the stakeholders’ engagement.

During the meeting, stakeholders raised concerns about the possible impact of the construction on traffic, estate access roads and underground utilities, including fibre-optic infrastructure.

Responding, Osiyemi assured them that the ministry would continue to engage relevant agencies, utility providers and residents before the commencement of full-scale construction.

He said another engagement would be held before work begins to allow stakeholders to understand the practical aspects of the project and address any outstanding concerns.

“We are not rigid. We are going to be as flexible as possible and ensure that we get a very good job done,” the commissioner said.