Lagos—Mr Godwin Eke, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, said yesterday, that underground water mains had stalled the construction of a pedestrian bridge at Iyana- Ipaja on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

Eke said in Lagos that except the pipes which were on the right of way were relocated, the construction would not continue.

He said burst water pipes were also affecting road rehabilitation on the highway.

“We have an agreement with the Water Corporation that they should relocate the pipes, but they have not done that.

“We also have the problem of burst water pipes at Ilepo Market which is affecting repairs of the road.

“We have told the corporation to repair the pipes so that we can repair the road,” Eke said.

Eke said the problem of litigation on one of the pedestrian bridges on the expressway had been resolved.

According to him, the contractor is ready to pay up the compensations and return to site shortly.

“There are some shops that should be relocated before we can construct a pedestrian bridge at a point on the road.

“The contractor has agreed to pay the compensations and move back to site early next year.”

The controller said the problem of faulty design of the Dopemu pedestrian bridge had been corrected.

“The contractor will return to site in January 2015 to complete the project.”

Also commenting on the road, the State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, said the state government had completed two pedestrian bridges on the highway.

Hamzat said that the bridges at Ilepo and Ahmaddiyya bus stops awarded about nine months ago had been completed but the one at Cement Bus Stop was stalled by litigation.

“We completed two except the one at Cement that has a legal problem,” he said.

The commissioner said about seven other pedestrian bridges including the ones on Funsho Williams Avenue and Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba, had been completed.

He explained that the problem on the bridge along the Nigerian Railway Corporation yard in Ebute Meta had been resolved, adding that work had reached an advanced stage.