Hope Surfaces As Julius Berger PLC Sets To Resume Work In March

There is a sense of hope for people who ply the Lagos-Ibadan expressway as it is reported that construction work would resume this March on Section 1 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway under reconstruction as the Federal Government had mobilized the contractor, Julius Berger PLC., to return to the site.

This was disclosed by the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mr Godwin Eke to Newsome after his inspection of road projects in Lagos on Wednesday.

He said that the project was over 50 percent completed before the contractors left site due to debts owed it.

Section 1 of the project being handled by Julius Berger spans from old toll gate plaza at Ojota in Lagos state to Sagamu Interchange in Ogun.

Section 2 which spans from the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan in Oyo State is being handled by Reynolds Construction Company (RCC).

Eke who supervises Section 1 of the expressway said, “Recently, we got approval for augmentation because, at a point, Julius Berger could not make claims for works already executed.

“So, now that we have the approval in our hands, construction work will soon resume fully on Section 1 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

“The project is more than 50 percent completed,” he said.

He said that the President Muhammad Buhari-led administration had been able to clear debt owed by previous administrations on road projects.

Eke said that this would pave way for the completion of the various roads projects ongoing across the nation.

The controller also said that construction work had resumed on the two pedestrian bridges on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

He said that the contractors had earlier abandoned site because there was the need to harmonise the design of the footbridge project.

He said that the bridges are Bus Rapid Transit project being executed by the Lagos State Government on the highway.

Earlier, the Director, Federal Highways, South West, Mr Emmanuel Adeoye who had been on tour of road projects in his zone said that he had inspected projects in Oyo, Ogun and Ondo States.

He said that work was progressing steadily on Section 2 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Adeoye said that “ancillary work” was being done on Section 2 of the highway.

“I am just returning from the inspection of Section 2 of the expressway being handled by RCC and their workers were working seriously.