Lagos to award final phase of Badagry road expansion
Lagos State government is tidying up documents for the award of contract for Lot 3 and final phase of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway expansion project.
The governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who disclosed this, Thursday, while inspecting some projects in the state, also confirmed plans to concession the road.
The over 40-year-old road is being expanded from four lanes to 10, with provision for rail and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in the middle, starting from Eric Moore end of Orile-Iganmu towards Seme, Nigeria-Benin Republic border town.
The initial cost of reconstruction was put at N220 billion in 2008. However, after many years of delayed execution of the project, the cost implication had risen, but the state government had been silent on what the final cost would be.
From the former administration of Babatunde Fashola, the initiator of the project, to the current administration of Governor Ambode, government has continued to blame the snail-pace at which the project is being executed on paucity of funds. Lagos earns about N29 billion monthly from internally generated revenue and federal transfers.
The first phase of the road expansion, starting from the Eric Moore end of Orile-Iganmu to Mile 2, was awarded to Julius Berger, while the second phase, from Mile 2 to Okokomaiko, was won by China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC), which is also handling the rail component of the project.
Ambode, who was out yesterday to inspect some ongoing projects, projected 2019 for possible completion of the road.
“Last week, I was outside the country urging APM Terminal to commence construction of Badagry Deep Sea port, which will attract $2.6 billion to Badagry axis of Lagos.
“On the part of the government, this project must be accelerated and completed on schedule, even though the contract had been awarded to terminate at Okokomaiko. We are almost at financial close to give it from Okokomaiko to Seme Border section of the road to concessionaire that will help push the project.
“I am committed to the project and economic expansion of the eastern part of Lagos. That is the surest way to go because the completion of this project will expand the real estate value and tourism potential in Badagry axis of the state. I am confident that we should have completed the project before the end of 2019,” he said.
While also inspecting the stretch of link road from Agbelekale off Ekoro Road to Abesan Estate via Church Street, Giwa and Aboru, Ambode expressed satisfaction with the progress of the project so far, but charged the contractor and supervisors to ensure the delivery of the project within the first quarter of 2017.
The governor expressed displeasure with the state of Irede Road, assuring that work would start on the road within the next four weeks, saying, “It is very clear that this Irede road is in a very deplorable condition. I have come personally to see it and I have received complaints from people of this community. I also see that the economic value that we stand to benefit from upgrading this road is unquantifiable.”