Bennett Oghifo
The decrepit Ota-Idiroko Road, an all-important passage in and out of the country, is set for rehabilitation through a partnership between the federal and the Ogun State government.
According to the Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Mr. Umar Bakare, the reconstruction would be done in good time to ease the pains of those who use the 64 kilometres road.
Bakare said contract for the reconstruction of the highway was undergoing procurement process under the Tax Credit Scheme of the federal government.
He said documentations were at advanced stage to mobilise the contractor to site, adding that the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency was already fixing some bad portions of the road.
He said that the rehabilitation works would precede the award of contract for reconstruction of the distressed international route linking Nigeria with neighbouring Benin Republic.
Bakare added that apart from being an international route, the highway also links major industries, two private universities and factories, hence government’s resolve for rigid pavement on it to absorb its huge traffic.
“While the processing of the contract is on-going, there is a synergy between the Federal Ministry of Works and Ogun State Government to put this road in a motorable state,” he said.
He said a delegation of the Federal Ministry of Works visited the site last week to ascertain the level of work to be carried out.
He assured that consultations had reached an advanced stage on both rehabilitation and reconstruction of the road, assuring road users that government was concerned about their plight.
Speaking on behalf of the Ogun State Government, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Lateef Yusuf, said that the maintenance work would begin within two weeks.
“The Ogun State Government has started the process for palliative work that will start maybe in the next one to two weeks,” he said.
Bakare, Federal Controller of Works, Ogun State, said that trading along the walkway of Ota Bridge, is making it impossible for people to use the and that the activities of the market people is blocking the drainages.
“We don’t want tax payer’s money to be wasted, that is why we are redesigning the drainages around the Sango Ota Bridge with rigid pavements so that when it rains heavily it will not damage it.
“With delay in funding of SUKUK the project completion which is supposed to be by end of 2021 has been shifted to 2022 ending.”
He confirmed that the roads are bad and that is why the people are agitating “but I have good news for the people. Soon, a serious attention will be given to the 64km Ota-Idiroko road because it is an international road.
“As I speak to you now, FERMA is on the other side of the road doing all they can, to make sure that something is done at least to make the road motorable before the construction proper.”
Engr. Yusuf Lateef, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Ogun State, gave assurance that before two weeks, the state government would start palliative work on the road with clearing of drainages, putting of hardcore, stone base probably putting asphalt on top and this will be done from the Ota Bridge down to Igumade grammar school.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr. Olukayode Popoola, represented by the Project Supervisor of Section one of the project, Mr. Adewale Adebote, said that the construction work was being slowed down by activities of traffic regulatory agencies.
He said apart from extortion, the traffic agencies prevent articulated vehicles from using the Ota flyover, thereby compounding
gridlock which spills to Toll Gate to slow down construction works.
Adebote said that the Ota flyover was being redesigned to include major outfalls to address flooding caused by traders on the axis.
“Between chanage 17 plus 100 to chanage 18 plus 600, a distance that covers Temidire, Sango Garage, Under Bridge and Joju Bus Stop (the two bridges approaches), has been redesigned and considered to be re-constructed as rigid pavement for durability,” he said.
He, however, noted that construction work was progressing fast on section one on the Lagos-bound carriageway where 4.32 kilometres had been constructed to final stage and some sections reopened to traffic.
Conducting journalists round newly constructed canals, he said heavy flooding which used to claim lives and prolonged gridlock along Ajala and Kola bus stops had been corrected with “bigger cross – culverts construction.”
According to him, the expansion of two major canals at Ajala and Kola Bus Stop areas were able to address major flooding issues that made several businesses and residents to vacate the area.
He assured that ongoing reconstruction/rehabilitation works on the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway would be completed before the end of year 2022.
