Taming monster of Lagos traffic: Overhead bridges, lay-bys to the rescue

Commuting from Victoria Island to Ajah, enroute Epe has been a nightmare for a long time. A journey of about one hour from CMS in Lagos Island to Epe, in the late 90s to the end of year 2010, suddenly became the proverbial Israelites’ journey.

The continuous physical development along the Lekki Corridor, is mainly responsible for the perrenial traffic grid, coupled with the irresponsible driving habits by the commercial drivers, who have little or no regard for traffic regulation.

Added to this are the several roundabouts where residents from various neighbourhoods come in and out and going in from the expressway, thereby creating traffic bottlenecks along the corridor.

The same scenario played out at Ojodu-Berger axis, along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

For those coming from either Ibadan, Shagamu or the eastern parts of the country, smooth driving ends when one gets to Ojodu end of the highway.

“However, providence played a great relief, courtesy of brilliant initiatives deployed by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration.

“A new visitor to these places would be amazed at the total transformations taking place at both Ajah and Ojodu-Berger, as vehicular movements has become as free as air,” narrated Dr Bisogun Ahmed, who said he has been watching the development over the last one year.

Two major innovations happened in Ajah, where an overhead bridge was constructed to allow motorists going or coming from Ado-Badore community connect their places without obstructing those that are still going down to Epe, Lekki, Sangotedo and others.

Besides, while there were more than seven roundabouts from Lekki Phase one to Ajah, they have been reconstructed in a way that those who need to turn have lanes created within the roundabout, thus, facilitating a free movement to those who are going to or coming from the Island.

The same initiative was applied at the Ojodu Berger axis, but added to these are various lay-bys, by which commuters who want to drop, or pick passengers would leave the main road.

“The only problem is the commercial drivers, whose mentality is at variance with the new reality.

“Go to Iyana Oworo, enroute Secretariat-Lagos-Ibadan expressway, because of the barrier erected at Car Wash, these people are still piciking or dropping passengers on top of the bridge, and this can cause accident, because the location is at the corner side,” Chief Fatai Adeniji, a community leader of Oworonshoki Community Development Association (CDA) said.