After 20 years conception, Sanwo-Olu flags off Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge

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3 years ago

Sanwo-Olu

After 20 years of conception, Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, flagged off the construction of Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge with the Approach Roads to ease traffic in the area.

The governor, while speaking at the flag-off ceremony at Opebi, also hinted that additional 3 sets of trains had been procured for the Blue Line aside from the 10 Talgo car trains acquired by the state government for Red Line, following his recent official visit to Milwaukee.

The Link Bridge has a total length of 3.89km, consisting of 2829m road length with 276m Deck-on-Pile Bridge and 474m Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall approach sections.

The Link Bridge project would start from the Opebi U-Turn and span across the gorge to drop at the intersection of Odo Iyalaro Bridge and approach from Ojota New Garage near Mende along Ikorodu Road.

The Bridge and Approach Roads were also designed to convey traffic from Odo Iyalaro into Maryland as well as towards Ojota New Garage on Ikorodu Road through an Underpass.

The approach roads will greatly enhance vehicular movement towards Opebi/Allen/ Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way via Sheraton Link Bridge/Kudirat Abiola Way and its environs, just as it would reduce incessant traffic gridlocks being experienced over the years in the area.

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The project which was conceived 20 years ago has been awarded to Messrs Julius Berger Nigeria Plc after carrying out studies and engineering investigations along the project alignment.

Sanwo-Olu said the project was another milestone in the implementation of the Traffic Management and Transportation Pillar of his administration’s THEMES Agenda and the State Strategic Transport Master Plan (STMP), adding that the flag-off ceremony demonstrated the priority that his government accorded the welfare and well-being of the people and was also “a testament of our commitment Greater Lagos Vision.”

The governor, while noting the strategic importance of road infrastructure to sustainable development, which he said explained his “administration’s focus on the provision of road infrastructure to achieve some pre-conceived targets,” assured that the project when fully completed would reduce travel time, enhance interconnectivity; provide better riding surface; and eliminate traffic gridlocks, among others.

“We recognize the strategic importance of road infrastructure to sustainable development, which explains our administration’s focus on the provision of road infrastructure to achieve some pre-conceived targets like reduced travel time on our roads- (by saving important man-hours that would have been otherwise lost to traffic); enhanced interconnectivity; provision of better riding surface; and elimination of traffic gridlocks while generally making life more meaningful to commuters in Lagos State.

“In consideration of the exponential growth rate of commercial activities and services within this axis, and to address the challenge of the huge traffic burden occasioned by the growth, we decided to provide carefully designed innovative solutions to ease the daily gridlock experienced by commuters around Opebi / Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way/ Ojota/Mende corridor.

“As you are aware, there is presently no direct link between Opebi, Maryland and Ojota. The available road infrastructure that links the axis is also limited in its connectivity options, thus during peak periods, the high traffic volume within the axis usually congests the Ikeja Traffic Network.

“Consequently, we recognized the need to provide another Legacy Project by constructing the Ojota – Opebi Link Bridge and Approach Roads to connect Opebi Road from its tail end with Lagos- Ikorodu road by Odo Iya -Alaro.

“This will invariably reduce travel time for Lagos and Ikorodu bound traffic from Opebi. It will also ease the traffic situation at Opebi – Sheraton Link Road and Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way.

“This Legacy Project will provide a new link to commute around Ikeja and its environs. It will also act as a relief to the saturated and over-burdened routes within Ikeja. There will also be a cascading effect on passenger transfer time for public transport operators with a significant impact on vehicle operating costs.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu disclosed that 3 sets of 10 Talgo car- trains had also been acquired for the Blue Line, saying that the state government initiated the construction of a 37 km track rail project which was steadily progressing.

He said this was embarked upon towards “the complete overhaul of our water transportation system so that we can achieve an efficient and safe transport system that suits our megacity status and befits a 21st-century economy.”

“The Talgo trains will make our transportation system more functional, open up the local economy and bring impactful succour and relief to commuters.

“We have also acquired 3 sets of the train for the Blue Line as we will be unveiling that we don’t want to talk much about it. If you don’t want to believe what we are saying, you can’t disbelieve what we’ve done,” he said.

In her welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr Aramide Adeyoye, equally recalled that the Ojata-Opebi Link Bridge was conceived in 2001, but could not be embarked upon for one reason or the other.

She expressed great joy that the project had now seen the light of the day as Governor Sanwo-Olu had decided to take the bull by the horns to ensure that this long-overdue project which would transform the entire Ikeja and environs became a reality.

“It might interest you all to note that this project was conceived as far back as in the Year 2001 over twenty (20) years ago, but for one reason or the other has not seen the light of the day. My joy knows no bounds that our dear Governor has decided to take the bull by the horns to ensure that this long-overdue project which will transform the entire Ikeja and environs becomes a reality.

“At present, there is an overstretch on the capacity of the existing network of roads in the corridor with limiting connectivity options that would ease traffic and improve travel time. More importantly, there is no direct link between the Opebi – Maryland – Ogudu – 3rd Mainland Bridge as conceived in the Lagos State Transportation Master Plan (STMP),” she said.