According to Engr. Umar Bakare, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, a section of the Eko Bridge that has been restricted to vehicular traffic will reopen on May 31.
According to Bakare, restoration work on the bridge is proceeding, particularly at the Apongbon section that was damaged by the fire.
The bridge will be open to traffic by May 31st, 2023, he said in a statement on Sunday, adding that work is currently focused on restoring the structural defect brought on by the inferno. Work will still be done on the other sections of the bridge, however.
He asked for the driving public’s support in upholding traffic laws and regulations, which will further facilitate getting past construction zones.
Even as construction on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is nearing completion, the Lagos State government has reaffirmed its dedication to ongoing dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing on traffic management.
Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, assured the driving public that he will continue to hold strategic meetings with the Federal Ministry of Works and its project engineers to review the mode of works and offer solutions that can lessen the strain of traffic impact experienced by road use while on tour duty of the construction zones on Opic, Kara, and Berger axis over the weekend.
The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is working with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), its Ogun State counterpart, TRACE, and other agencies to reduce traffic congestion on the corridor, the Commissioner of Transportation said, assuring the driving public that the Federal Government is striving to complete the project in record time as announced by the Minister of Works and Housing.
The Transport Commissioner appealed for calm as the construction work will soon be finished while also expressing sympathy for the situation of drivers on the corridor.
The contractor had to reduce the three lanes he typically worked with from three to two at each of the construction sections, causing traffic to build up. The Federal Controller of Works for Lagos State, Bakare, assured that the FRSC, LASTMA, and TRACE are typically on site to control traffic.
According to him, the contractor is wrapping up the workaround Opic, and after the asphalt work is done, the portion will be available to traffic by Monday. The Berger axis will also be finished by the end of April.
The Controller of Works went on to say that to increase the pace of work to achieve the April deadline, the contractor raised the number of working groups to 4.