Lagos – An official of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing said on Friday that traffic concerns affected plans to resume work on the pedestrian bridge projects on the Lagos-Abeokuta expressway in January.

The official who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the ministry was collaborating with the Lagos State Government on effective traffic management on the road.

Our source said the decision was taken to avert gridlock and hardship to road users, adding that immediately details of the collaborations were sealed, the contractor would return to site.

“We can’t just go and begin work, just like that, because it is a high traffic area. And a letter has been sent to the Lagos State Government to assist us with traffic control.

“Everything is set and work would have started but we want to return to site and not cause any gridlock,” our source explained.

The source also said that the construction of the Iyana-Ipaja and Cement Bus Stop foot bridges will be fast because all of the fittings were ready.

Meanwhile, users of the road have renewed their appeal to the Federal Government to urgently complete the foot bridges, to stem the risk of accidents and curb gridlock on the expressway.

A businesswoman, Mrs Dorcas Ogbonna, appealed to government to speed up the completion of the foot bridges to accommodate several communities on the axis.

“Our leaders travel out of this country and they see what happens abroad. You plan for development but these foot bridges at Iyana-Ipaja and Dopemu are long overdue.

“This Iyana-Ipaja and Dopemu areas have the highest number of people in Lagos. You can confirm this from the census figures.

“We want to see a change, government should please help us,” she said.

An interior decorator, Mr Enefola Moses and Miss Romoke Olomola, a student, also joined in the appeal for urgent completion of the foot bridges, to safeguard the lives of users of the road.

The Iyana-Ipaja foot bridge project which began in 2014, was initially slowed down by litigation.

The contractors handling the project later abandoned work over funding issues, relocation of services and property in its right of way, among others.

The Iyana-Dopemu/Cement Bus stop foot bridge on the other hand, which was awarded at the same period, also suffered some setbacks due to design problems and under-funding, which compelled the contractor to leave site.

The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Mr Godwin Eke, had in January said that the contractors, Messrs Borini Prono, were set to return to site, to complete the projects.

Eke had assured that all the construction elements were ready and were at the Tin Can Island port, ready to be moved to site and that all litigations and compensation issues had been settled.