By Kingsley Adegboye

The Lagos State Government has awarded the contract for the replacement of the failed pedestrian bridge at Ilasamaja on Oshodi- Apapa Expressway to Messrs P.W. Nig. Ltd.

Skeletal work has already begun on the reconstruction of the bridge which for some time now has constituted a serious problem to pedestrians around the ever busy Ilasamaja area of Lagos metropolis.

The project which would gulp about N400 million, is expected to be completed within the stipulated period of four months. The failed structure was  pulled down on Saturday.

The State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Mr. Obafemi Hamzat, an engineer, who disclosed these fasts while on inspection of some ongoing projects by ministry within Lagos metropolis, said ‘’we have done the soil test. The construction method for construction has changed. You might not see the contractor on site until after they have done the concrete work in their yard and they will come here to mount.

‘’We assure people that the contract for the bridge has been awarded and very soon they will see the contractor at work here. We want to ensure that people are safe, and looking at the bridge with the holes, its stability and integrity is in doubt and this is why we had to seal it off until it is reconstructed.

The bridge, like any other one in the state is quite strategic and this is underscored by the safety of lives we want to ensure.

This is a federal road but we did not say that because this is a federal road, we will not rebuild the bridge. We are concerned about the safety of Lagosians and this is why the state government has taken it up.

‘’The state government is going to spend about N400 million on this project. The bridge can be repaired but you are not sure what will happen after its repair and this is why we are settling for its outright reconstruction. We have started the sub-soil investigation and this is what will determine how long it will take to finish the project.

“We have about 10 such bridges to construct in the state. Lagos-Abeokuta expressway alone has three and in all we have awarded contract for about nine. As for Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the Federal government is about to reconstruct it and so it does not make any sense to do anything on it until after the reconstruction’’, he noted.

Explaining challenges in construction projects with bridge components with particular reference to  Adisa Ajibulu and the Isheri-Osun –Jakande road projects, Hamzat said the need to put several piles in place and the nature of the terrain explains delays. He added that the road component cannot be awarded without the completion of the bridge, stressing that the state government usually does its projects in phases to ensure proper funding and adequate time frame for each of the projects.

The Commissioner also disclosed that with the completion of the Isopakodowo market at Osodi, the enclosed market comprising mainly lock up shops of various sizes will soon be allocated to targeted beneficiaries with adequate mortgage facility to enable them repay the cost of purchase for between 15 and 20 years.

According to him, ‘’anybody who comes here will be secured, and that was the aim of the government. The place is meant for people who want to secure shops. One of the provisions of the state’s traffic law is that people should not display their wares on the road.

“That provision is to discourage people from selling on the road. We want to do mortgage here with which it will be easy for people to buy the shops  and repay at regular intervals for as long as 15 years. The mortgage also allows the owners to go to banks to do their business. We are discussing with banks to create the mortgage. Our role as government is to create access for people to get the mortgage.

‘’By the time you have a shop with good documentation, it means you have a title, something that could be collaterised because your shop will serve as collateral in this transaction.