Adegbite, in a statement on Tuesday, said the Ijoko flyover had not only met the standard regulation of 5.4 metres headroom, but had also saved the Federal Government the additional cost of constructing a new bridge across the railway crossing at the town.
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“According to Standards and Regulations in Nigeria, bridges must have a standard clearance of 5.4 metres. So the bridges at Apapa Oshodi Expressway, Bank Anthony Way, Lagos, and the new bridge being constructed by the Ogun State government at Ijoko have all met the standard clearance.
“While the Federal Government is thinking of closing level crossings along the new standard gauge line, Ogun State government has provided the solution at Ijoko level crossing by the construction of the overhead bridge. With the construction, the state government has saved the Federal Government the cost of providing this infrastructure,” the commissioner said.
He added that in order to accommodate electric power for the standard gauge trains, which is envisaged in the future, there was the need for an additional one metre clearance, taking the minimal requirement to 6.2 metres.
Adegbite pointed out that Ogun State government constructed the Ijoko Bridge to stop the frequent deaths of pedestrians and traders by moving trains on the railway crossing.
He said government had taken into consideration the standard requirement for the construction of the bridge with the full knowledge of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), which allowed its trains to pass.
“A solution was finally agreed upon, which is applicable to all overhead bridge points. The rail line will go down by one metre, gradually over a 500-metre run and come up the same way on the other side, giving a sloop of 0.2 per cent in either direction.
“The minister asked the consultants to work out the details and submit a report soonest,” the statement read.
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