The long-sought relief from choking vehicular
gridlocks has finally come the way of residents in the Agege-Abule Egba axis of
Lagos State. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Friday, commissioned the Pen
Cinema Bridge and five arterial road networks in the area, formally opening the
infrastructure for public use.
The commissioning marked fulfilment of another
campaign promise made by Sanwo-Olu to residents, who daily endured pain in
commuting within the axis in the last four years.
All Progressives Congress (APC) National
Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had the honour to inaugurate the projects,
which he described as “needed catalyst” for the resuscitation of economic
activities on the axis.
The construction of the 1.4-kilometre long
flyover was part of the recommendation at the Lagos Economic Summit (Ehingbeti)
under ex-Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, as a strategic
intervention to achieving significant traffic improvement in the densely
populated area. The last administration created the right-of-way and set up the
structural beams; Governor Sanwo-Olu substantially completed civil works on the
bridge.
The imposing overpass ascends from Oba Ogunji
Road and drops at Oke Koto area of Agege. The bridge also opens to the old
Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway through Abule Egba.
Tumultuous crowd of joyous residents joined
Gov. Sanwo-Olu and members of the State’s cabinet in handing over the bridge
for public use.
The Governor described the delivery of the
project as a “landmark progress” in the State Government’s drive towards
eliminating bottlenecks causing suffocating gridlocks and relieving residents
of stress associated with commuting on roads.
Sanwo-Olu said the two-pronged approach, which
his administration deployed to deliver critical infrastructure, gave priority
to continuation and completion of strategic projects, regular maintenance and
construction of new ones in line with the State’s Strategic Transport Master
Plan (STMP).
He said his Government decided to continue the
project, because it was in tune with the first pillar of his administration’s
T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda, which targets the provision of roads for expedited economic
growth and seamless mobility.
He said: “I am delighted to stand before
Lagosians today to celebrate the delivery of this landmark project, which
again, reflects our administration’s belief in the principle of continuity in
governance and demonstrates our commitment to the urgency of infrastructure
development and the welfare of our people. The completion of this flyover and
five network of roads sends a strong message about our determination to
accelerate our futuristic vision for a world class transportation system
complemented by a good network of roads for social and economic transformation.
“In order to address the challenge of huge
traffic burden, the immediate past administration initiated and commenced the
construction of a precast and pre-stressed reinforced concrete of 1.4km
dual-carriage flyover and ramp, with road works across the Agege-Pen Cinema
Intersection. As of May 2019 when this administration was inaugurated, this
project was at about 20 per cent progress. With the delivery of this bridge,
which is complemented with traffic signalisation and drainage channels, we have
resolved the perennial traffic arising from huge human and vehicular movement
from Agege-Pen Cinema Intersection towards Abule Egba, Fagba, Oke Koto and
Iyana Ipaja.”
To achieve a quick turnaround in commuting on
the bridge, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his Government identified and
reconstructed five strategic arterial roads with good connectivity to adjoining
roads that could serve as alternative bypasses to other routes in periods of
heavy traffic.
The Governor said since road transportation
remained crucial to economic growth and physical development, he believed the
project would inject more life into socio-economic activities of people living and
doing business in the area.
He said: “A key outcome from the strategic
execution of this magnificent Pen Cinema Flyover project is that our
administration has again demonstrated the priority it accords to the wellbeing
of our people. It is a true test of our commitment to the Greater Lagos vision
and a reflection of the achievability of our audacious socio-economic goals. In
the course of implementing this project, we created jobs for about 380 people
including engineers, supervisors, artisans and others- a clear indicator of the
nexus between infrastructure development and employment generation.”
Sanwo-Olu pledged that his administration
would not relent in provision of infrastructure for coordinated and sustainable
development that would help to improve the State’s performance on the Ease of
Doing Business index.
Tinubu expressed confidence in Sanwo-Olu’s
leadership, noting that the Governor had stabilised and brought Lagos back on a
focused journey, despite economic turbulence occasioned by Coronavirus
(COVID-19) and coordinated destruction of the State’s assets.
The APC National Leader, who described
Sanwo-Olu as “a brilliant captain”, praised the collaboration between the
executive and the legislative arms in the State.
He said: “This is a commendable achievement by
Sanwo-Olu, who has further brought Lagos on the path of progress, given the
economic resuscitation this infrastructure will bring on this axis and entire
Lagos. May you continue to think and perform to demonstrate excellent results
as you have done today.”
Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and
Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye, said the axis on which the flyover is
sited is one of the busiest in vehicular activities in Lagos, saying the bridge
would bring back convenience to millions of residents commuting in the area.
She said: “The entire project consists of a
dual carriageway, with a bridge component of two lanes with 3.65 cm width in
either direction. The road component consists of service lanes on either side
of the bridge with median, kerbs and walkways that are complete with signalised
traffic system. There are junction improvements with LED streetlight features.”
Speaker, Lagos House of Assembly, Rt. Hon.
Mudashiru Obasa, who represents Agege in the Assembly, described Governor
Sanwo-Olu as “a proactive, wonderful performer”, who always accomplishes any
projects he promises.
The adjoining roads commissioned with the
flyover are Iju Road, Oba Ogunji Road, Agunbiade Road, Oke Koto Intersection
and Iyana Ipaja link road.