By Akintola Omigbodun

I have made a few journeys recently between Lagos and Osogbo, Osun State. The outward leg of the journey from Lagos has been on the Lagos to Ibadan expressway, the Ibadan to Ile-Ife expressway up to Gbongan, Osun State and then on the Gbongan to Osogbo road while the return leg of the journey has been in the reverse order.

However, on one of the journeys, the outward leg was from Lagos to Ikorodu to Itoikin to Ijebu-Ode to Ijebu-Igbo.

The journey then continued on the road from Ijebu-Igbo to Orile-Owu, Osun State and this road passes through a rural area and a forest reserve with a bridge across the River Osun. The journey was next from Orile-Owu to Apomu where we joined the Ibadan to Ile-Ife expressway and then onwards to Ikire, Gbongan and finally the Gbongan to Osogbo road.

The alternative route was chosen such that one could avoid any possible traffic delays on the Lagos to Ibadan expressway. The journey on the alternative route took one hour more than the typical time spent on the primary route through the Lagos to Ibadan expressway. Once the reconstruction of the Lagos to Ibadan expressway commenced about two years ago, journey times between Lagos and Ibadan have been unpredictable and the typical time for completion of the journey between Lagos and Osogbo has been about five and a half hours. However, in recent times the contractor, Julius Berger Nigeria, for the Lagos to Sagamu portion of the Lagos to Ibadan expressway has stopped all work on the project.

The contractor, Reynolds Construction Company, on the Sagamu to Ibadan portion has been carrying out limited earthworks, concrete works for drainage and the crash barriers at the central road edge, placement of crushed stone base and finishing the asphalt pavement on certain stretches.

The contractors’ operations have not given any cause for delays and with the excellent road surface on the completed stretches, the journey time between Lagos and Osogbo has been about four hours.

The alternative route has an excellent road surface from Mile 12, Lagos to the roundabout at the centre of Ikorodu as reconstruction of this road was completed last year. However, there are several failed portions of the Ikorodu to Itoikin road and the Itoikin to Ijebu-Ode road thus making for longer journey times on these roads. The current Ogun State Government has constructed a bridge at Ijebu-Ode across the Sagamu to Benin expressway making for safe passage into and out of Ijebu-Ode on the Itoikin to Ijebu-Ode road. The Ogun State Government also has urban renewal projects at Ijebu-Ode and Ijebu-Igbo and has completed or has under construction fly-over bridges to ease traffic movement at some road intersections in both towns.

I have brought these to our attention so that we accept that it is within our means to provide some fly-over bridges across the Lagos to Ibadan expressway especially at the Mowe/Redemption Camp stretch and closer to Lagos at the Ibafo/Arepo stretch. Funding for the completion of the reconstruction works on the Lagos to Ibadan expressway appears uncertain at the moment. We must find the funds for building these bridges now bearing in mind that there are consequential costs if we do not build them.

The Federal Ministry of Works should bring to President Buhari’s attention the need to conclude all funding arrangements for the reconstruction of the Lagos to Ibadan expressway. In particular, an early decision should be made on whether tolls would be charged for the use after reconstruction of the expressway and on the levels of tolls to be charged.