Kara bridge-OPIC open to traffic Sunday – FG

The Federal Government has disclosed the completion of road work between Kara Bridge and the Long Bridge area on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, adding that it would be opened to traffic today, Sunday.

The Minister of Work and Housing, Babatunde Fashola on Saturday, said this in a statement through his Special Adviser on Communications, Hakeem Bello.

He, however, appealed to motorists to exercise patience over the heavy traffic being experienced on the stretch from Toll Gate to Kara Bridge in Lagos, as the reconstruction work on the road enters its last phase.

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“Work within the OPIC area between Kara Bridge and the Long Bridge has been completed and would be opened to traffic today, Sunday, April 30. This means that the main carriageway, both bounds, from Berger (New Garage) and Sagamu Inter-change on Section 1 of the Project has been completed,” he said.

While empathising with the general public over the heavy traffic, Fashola noted that, “the intensity of work and the high volume of traffic which had to be accommodated at the same time have been complicated by impatience on the part of some motorists who drive against the planned traffic flow and breakdown of vehicles.”

Fashola disclosed his ministry is already working with the Lagos State Government, all traffic management and security agencies to reduce the inconvenience caused by the Road reconstruction.

“All attention would now be focused on the outstanding work between Otedola Bridge and Berger (both bounds),” he added.

Collaborating the FG, the Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Saturday, said he had extracted a commitment from the contractors handling the road that part of the road would be completed and open to traffic today.

Saturday PUNCH reports that Abiodun got the commitment on Friday from the contractor through the Federal Comptroller of Works when he had an on-the-spot assessment on the cause of the constant gridlock on the road which had been causing the people discomfort.

He said, “On Friday, I stopped at Kara and made a piece of my mind known to the contractor handling the Kara end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, my stopping there was with respect to the very poor traffic management and the resulting traffic gridlock subjecting innocent travellers to untold hardship.

“I am glad to note that I was able to extract from the firm handling the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway through the Federal Comptroller of Works a commitment to complete the construction causing the bottleneck on or before Sunday 30th April and open the road to allow free flow of traffic both outbound and inbound Lagos.”