The completion of the Second Niger Bridge and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, according to Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola, have had to be constantly rescheduled due to new challenges in construction. The Minister now believes once again that the two signature projects of the Buhari administration will be finished by December 2022, all things being equal.
This was said by Fashola on Sunday during a Channels Television interview.
In addition, he announced that the highways will be tolled, noting that obstacles had delayed the Lagos-Ibadan expressway’s completion schedule.
He noted, “The expected completion date now will be in the last month of this year. We are hoping that we will be done before Christmas and that is subject to a lot of variables.”
Fashola specifically mentioned the drilling facility being constructed by the Oyo State government around Ojo and how he had spoken with Governor Seyi Makinde on priorities, to which the Governor replied that the road is what affects, the need for drainage cannot also be dismissed.
He claimed that one factor contributing to the project’s length of time was the previous governments’ lack of funding.
“Let me also add that this road was difficult over the years, at the time we took billion to go and pay creditors in 2005.
On it, people used to sleep. Now that completeness has been dimensioned.
The road is constructed in segments. We counted the number of vehicles on that road each day, and it has at least 40,000. As a result, you cannot close it.
Therefore, we close off portions of one side and direct traffic to the other. Then, reopen it and direct traffic back, after finishing around 10 to 20 kilometers,” he said.
Speaking on the completion of the Second Niger Bridge, the Minister stated that it should be completed just before Christmas.
“We’re planning also before Christmas to open that (Second Niger Bridge) to public for use, because that’s when there’s a large movement. Hopefully by Christmas, it should also be open.”
