Motorists, commuters want FG to repair Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta road

To ensure free flow of traffic commuters and motorists have appealed to the Federal Government to repair the failed sections of the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway.

They told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday, that the urgent rehabilitation of the bad portions of the road would save users the trauma of wading through traffic jams daily often lasting several hours.

A NAN correspondent, who took a trip on the highway observed that no fewer than 18 potholes are causing gridlock on both sides of the dual carriageway between Iyana-Ipaja and Ile Zik Bus Stops in Ikeja, apart from the damage to vehicles.

However, a pothole at Dopemu Bus Stop on the Oshodi-bound carriageway which had been causing gridlock had been filled with crushed stones.

NAN also reported that the road shoulders that is, the edges at Ile Zik towards Oshodi have also failed and  developed  gullies.

At peak periods in the morning, motorists spend hours between Iyana-Ipaja and Ikeja because of the deplorable condition of the road, a journey of just about 10 minutes.

Also, four drainage slabs on the Oshodi bound carriageway have collapsed.

A truck driver, Mr Aliyu Bolarinwa, told NAN that the entire highway needed urgent rehabilitation.

“Between Sango and Oshodi, it is hard not to find some bad portions on the road. If it is not potholes, it is drainage problem. Government should repair the entire highway,’’ he said.

An engineer, Mr Michael Aghedo, also told NAN that government should repair the bad portions and construct lay-by at various bus stops on the highway to reduce pressure on the main carriageway.

“The traffic on this axis is high because it is an inter-city road, but there is no single lay-by on the road, so vehicles use the road shoulders as vehicles stop to either pick or drop passengers.

“As long as there are no lay-bys, the failures on the road shoulders will continue. Defects in the design should be corrected and be made to capture the drainage system to expand them,’’ he said.

A retired civil servant, Mrs Hassana Shuaibu, called for the resuscitation of the Public Works Department of the Federal Ministry of Works to tackle the problem of road maintenance.