Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday, assured people of the state that the final phase of the multi-billion dollar Blue Line Rail project would be ready by December next year.

The governor said the state government’s integrated mass transportation initiative has recorded huge progress with the successful completion of an elevated sea-crossing track of the Lagos Blue Line Rail Mass Transit project.

The governor made the remarks when he led members of the State Executive Council to inspect the five-kilometer long Continuous Beam Bridge constructed from Iganmu to Marina.

The bridge is part of the project fourth phase.

• READ ALSO: Lagos to test-run Blue line rail December 2020

Sanwo-Olu said the completion of the sea-crossing track indicated his administration’s commitment to the completion of the state-funded rail project which started in 2009.

He said: “The completion of this project is the top priority for our administration, as it is critical to the achievement of our prioritised pillar of traffic management and transportation in our six-point development agenda, known as project THEMES.

“The aim of this rail project is basically to reduce the travel time through an effective and efficient intermodal transport system. It is also key to the building of a 21st-century economy, which is central to the vision of a Greater Lagos aspiration. We are committed to delivering this project next year and ensuring its operation starts in 2021.”

The construction of the Blue Line rail tracks, the governor noted, was being implemented in strict adherence to the State’s Strategic Transport Master Plan, which prescribes six rail lines and one monorail for the long-term strategic goals of the state.

Apart from the Blue Line, Sanwo-Olu disclosed that his administration would be starting the construction of the Red Line rail project from Agbado to Marina, pointing out that advertisement had been published in the media to invite investors for the construction of four other rail lines under a Design, Build, Operate, Maintain and Transfer model of Public-Private-Partnership arrangement.

Vanguard