DECONGESTION OF TRAFFIC ALONG LEKKI-EPE EXPRESSWAY - A TOP PRIORITY FOR LAGOS STATE GOVERNOR ELECT, MR. AKINWUNMI AMBODE

The 2015 elections have come and gone. Losers have accepted defeat and in some cases, congratulated the winners. Life goes on!

The Governor Elect of Lagos State Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode must have been humbled by the support from the electorate that sealed his victory, and indeed owes a lot of gratitude to Lagosians who spoke and decided the outcome of the election with their votes.

One of the key areas that Lagosians will be expecting immediate action from the in-coming Governor is the decongestion of traffic on major and minor roads in Lagos metropolis.

The Lekki-Epe Expressway which is undoubtedly one of the most important roads in Lagos State today has become a nightmare to motorists, especially, residents of the area who commute the road on daily basis to their places of work and business. Those who can no longer bear the burden have since relocated from the area, thereby abandoning their homes to become tenants elsewhere.

Surprisingly, the Lekki-Epe Expressway is currently one of the best roads in Lagos State and is wide enough to ensure free flow of traffic. The unbearable traffic congestion on the road is largely due to bottlenecks at various intersections of the road. On-the-spot assessment of the road reveals that the bottlenecks are caused by the numerous traffic circles (roundabouts), inaccessible adjoining roads, outdated traffic lights and indiscipline of road users.

Eliminating the bottlenecks require a combination of engineered de-bottlenecking solutions that require the application of modern techniques and technologies specifically for traffic management and control. The cost of implementing these engineered de-bottlenecking solutions is very little compared to the huge loss of manhours and vehicle running cost constantly spent daily by the road users, which also contribute to the low productivity of an average resident of the area and Lagos State in general.

The onus is on the Governor Elect of Lagos State Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to act decisively as soon as he assumes leadership by making it a top priority of his government to decongest the Lekki-Epe Expressway as well as other major and minor roads within the Lagos metropolis, as a show of gratitude to Lagosians for his resounding victory in a keenly contested election.

Written by:
Engr. Princewell Nnakwe.
(A Project Management Consultant & Engineered Solutions Expert)
Email: Princewell_n@yahoo.com