₦airaland Forum

X-2-X, I've sent the remaining pictures. Please help in resizing.

Thanks.

I've been trying to post an interview with LCC's MD since yesterday. The posts are constantly deleted!

You may find it at:

http://allafrica.com/stories/201003081039.html

Quite instructive.

This is what he had to say about  the belief that LCC wants to force them to pay tolls, and that they will have no way to bypass your toll plazas if they don't want to pay:

"There will definitely be alternative routes around each of the three toll plazas,   

Perhaps people will only believe it when they see it,

It is Lagos State Government's, and not LCC's, responsibility to construct the alternative routes; however, we are working together with government to ensure that the routes exist before each toll plaza goes live.

For example, the Oniru Market Road was constructed to provide an alternative route around the first toll plaza. I can also confirm that the tender process for the design and construction of the alternative route around the second toll plaza, which is located close to Chevron Roundabout and Eleganza Estate, is already ongoing."

On tolling commencing this year:

"Yes. The first road section, which I have already explained, covers the first toll plaza and Km 0-6 of the road, nearly up to the existing 2nd roundabout, should be ready around May, weather permitting. The second road section, including the toll plaza and Km 6-15 of the road, that's just after Eleganza Estate, should be ready around November. We will be entitled to commence tolling at each of those plazas after they have been certified as complete by the Independent Engineer, as I described earlier."


On the completion of the project:

", We kicked-off 2010 with some major obstacles that were previously in the way, but are now being successfully dealt with. For example, subcontractors appointed by PHCN are now relocating obstructive electricity poles and cables located mainly on the left-hand side, to new positions outside the Right of Way.

In addition, Lagos State Government has empowered LCC to assist it with making various access roads that they are responsible for, more motorable, and also to construct new alternative routes around the remaining toll plazas. These developments should mean that the works progress much faster this year than we saw in 2009, and also that we stay on track to complete the works up to Km 49.4, that is, the end of our Concession area, by the end of 2011."

Lagos-Badagry road to be completed within projected period
Friday, 30 April 2010 01:15 Joshua Bassey

Lagos State government said on Thursday that the ongoing expansion of the Lagos-Badagry road would be completed within the projected four years period.
Special adviser to the state governor on works and infrastructure, Ganiyu Johnson, who gave the assurance while briefing the media on the activities of the ministry since May 2007 when the current administration came into office, put the level of work so far carried out by the contractor handling the project, Julius Berger plc, at eight percent.

Work on the first phase (stretching from Eric Moore to Mile 2) of the multi-billion naira 66 kilometres road began in 2009. Contracts for the second phase (Mile 2 to Agbara) and final phase (Agbara to Badagry) are yet to be awarded.

The state is undertaking the expansion of this strategic international road to ten lanes (five lanes either side) to further enhance the mega-city status of Lagos, boost economic activities on the corridor, improve quality of life and support inter-modal public transportation system being pursued by the government. To be incorporated into the project are light rail and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line.

Meanwhile, the state government has claimed it has completed and handed over a total of 83 road projects measuring 101,565 kilometres in the last three years while 123 others measuring 214,262 kilometres were ongoing in different parts of the state.

Statistics released by the ministry showed that the road projects were scattered across the 20 local government areas of the state. A break down showed that three were completed in Agege, one in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, three in Alimosho, one in Amuwo-Odofin, three in Apapa, three in Badagry, one in Ibeju-Lekki, one in Ifako, nine in Ikeja, one in Ikorodu, four in Kosofe, two in Lagos Mainland, three in Ojo, among others.

It also listed other projects embarked on some of which have been completed and delivered to include installation of streetlights, construction of new maternal and children hospitals, jetties, markets, bridges, reclamation of the Marina shoreline with several others currently at different stages of completion.

Source: http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10604:lagos-badagry-road-to-be-completed-within-projected-period-&catid=85:national&Itemid=340

Thanks X-2-X!

Expect the remaining pictures but note that these pictures were taken about three weeks ago. Quite a lot has happened since then.

These two pictures are the approach to the toll plaza when you are heading towards Epe from V/I.

The building on the right in the first picture is the Palms Shopping Mall.

The building under conrtsuction on the left in the second picture is the extension of the Oriental Hotel. The closest building on the right is the Intercontinental Bank branch on the new road leading to the Palms Shopping Mall while the second one is Diamond Bank. You would observe that a wall has been erected in front of the Intercontinental Bank branch.

Sorry about the quality of the pictures. They were taken from a car in motion on a road with a lot of "twists" and turns as a result of diversions.

More pictures of ork on the link bridge

New bridge holds hope, relief for Ikoyi, Lekki residents

Earmarked for completion 2011
If Julius Berger Nigeria plc, contractor handling the Ikoyi-Lekki bridge across the Osborne Lagoon, will deliver within estimated timeframe of less than three years, residents and visitors to Lekki Scheme1 Housing Estate and Ikoyi on Lagos Island should by end of next year look forward to enjoying a smoother, shorter ride - connecting both areas, with less stress.

The bridge project awarded March 2009 by the Lagos State government, is conceived and partly designed as an alternative route meant to address the traffic problem associated with the area, and to shorten travel time between Ikoyi and Lekki as against what currently obtains, where motorists on a bad day (when traffic is hectic on Lekki-Epe Expressway) spend hours before reaching their destinations.

The 1358-metre bridge (length) is expected, on completion, to bridge the gap between the two high-brow Lagos areas - occupied largely by the rich and business class. It is being constructed across the lagoon flowing towards Osborne in Ikoyi and Lekki Scheme1 Housing Estate. The first phase of the project, which duration according to the contract terms, was between March and December 2009, and involved mappings, designing and soil tests, has been completed. Concrete pillars upon which the Lekki-Ikoyi Bridge being constructed will rest.


Under the second phase, which is currently ongoing and scheduled to run from January to December 2010, the contractor is expected to give the 8.0mx2 carriageway (width) bridge a shape. Road works at the Ikoyi end, according to technical details made available to CityFile, is put at 338.7 and 311.5 at the Lekki end. The bridge is also designed to have a maximum of 3.5 percent vertical alignment and minimum radius of 350 metres horizontal alignment with 90 metres pylon height from water level. Additional facilities to be added on full completion are 2.3mx2 walkway, streetlights and cable ducts.

When CityFile visited the site this week, it was discovered that work was gradually in progress, as concrete pillars upon which the bridge would rest had almost gone half-way across the lagoon from the Lekki end. Special adviser to the Lagos State government on works and infrastructure, Ganiyu Johnson, appraising the project, says equipment and materials necessary to complete it within scheduled time have been fully mobilised by the contractor, and that government does not foresee any setback on the project.

To Johnson, whose office supervises the project, the bridge is another way the government is responding to the yearnings of the people for improved standard of living, as it is bound to make life a lot more comfortable for those expected to use it on completion, noting it is a way of addressing the problem of traffic on the Lekki axis.

Johnson, however, believes that beyond addressing the need of the residents, the project is also going to open a window of job opportunities to commercial bus drivers who will commute Lagosians visiting these high-brow settlements.

“It will enable the residents of Ikoyi, Lekki and the entire Island to reach their destinations much faster, and this is what governance is all about,” he states.

Source:http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9571:new-bridge-holds-hope-relief-for-ikoyi-lekki-residents&catid=154:city-file

FG resolves face-off with Lagos over Badagry road project

The Federal Government on Wednesday announced it had resolved its differences with the Lagos State government over the celebrated Lagos-Badagry road project, which hit stormy waters shortly before Acting President Goodluck Jonathan’s dissolution of the last Federal Executive Council.
Sanusi Daggash, minister of works, who made the disclosure while inspecting the multi-billion-naira truck park constructed by Capital Oil and Gas in Lagos, said the dispute between Lagos and the Federal Government stemmed from the right of way issue, which had been resolved to ease congestion along the route, so that there would be no problems among road users.

While assuring that government was ready to partner Lagos in the area of road infrastructure, Daggash noted that the truck park constructed by Capital Oil and Gas was a model that the Federal Government would emulate, and advised other corporate bodies to toe the same line.

He declared that with the construction of the park, which could contain 1,100 trucks, there was bound to be a drastic reduction in traffic snarls on Lagos roads. “We must encourage individuals to do same in other parts of the country. The facility is not just for trucks but is also critical for the service it is rendering. If the trucks are off the road, money would be added to the economy and the health of Nigerians improved,” he said, adding that the approach of the facilities’ users was worrisome while urging members of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) workers to try and decongest the Apapa –Oshodi road

Speaking during the visit, Ifeanyi Uba, managing director, Capital Oil and Gas, remarked that parks such as the new one would service not just the oil and gas industry but also ease the logistical problems that flour mill operators and cement companies encounter on a regular basis.

NUPENG members, on their part, said it was high time government helped build parks across the country so that truck drivers would stop parking by the roadside, thereby reducing the incidence of road accidents.


Source: http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10568:fg-resolves-face-off-with-lagos-over-badagry-road-project-&catid=85:national&Itemid=340

Lagos awards light rail project contract to Chinese firm
By Hamed Shobiye, Published: Tuesday, 13 Apr 2010



Determined to provide an efficient transportation system for Lagos residents, the state government has awarded a contract for the first phase of the Blue Line Light Rail Project to a Chinese construction firm, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation.



The government has already paid N8.05 billion, representing 70 per cent of the contract sum to the Chinese company, to design and build the 27 kilometre project expected to run from Okokomaiko to Marina.



Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), disclosed this on Tuesday while delivering a key note address at an annual lecture put together by Punuka Attorneys and Solicitors.

The theme of this year’s lecture was: The prospect of infrastructural development in Nigeria-Using the Lagos Light Rail as a case Study.”

Fashola, who was represented by the Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Transport Authority, Mr. Dayo Mabereola, revealed that the challenge of providing efficient transportation for the over 18 million residents of the state was one of the cardinal objectives of his administration when it came to power in May 2007.

He said, “Early in the life of our administration, we realised the need to explore the prospect of developing other modes of transportation other than road to enable us provide a means of moving large number of commuters within the state.

Source: http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art2010041318224814

[quote author=X-2-X link=topic=367311.msg5862026#msg5862026 date=1270834476]Johnie, kindly forward  to "Afroquest at Yahoo dot com", please ignore spaces in the email address. I will convert to a smaller file format (PNG?) and upload . . . that is if you are still having probs with your laptop.

Have a good weekend. Cheers[/quote]X-2-X, I sent some of the pictures to you as requested. Kindly resize and post (if possible). I already converted them to PNG but the size is still too large.

What's your own experience like?

Where did the traffic go?

I left Lagos Island at 6 p.m. yesterday and got to Chevron Round About by 6.45 p.m!

The bottlenecks I experienced were caused by traffic heading toward VI from Lekki, particularly at the traffic lights at Falomo Bridge, 1004 and BJ Hotels. Those heading towards VI blocked our own lanes. The traffic from Chevron onwards was still there.

There was also a slight build up just after second round about caused by a social event at Ikate Elegushi. But this did not slow me down beyond 10 minutes.

This morning I passed Chevron at around 6.45 a.m. and got to Lagos Island by 7.30 a.m!

Toll collection on the Lekki toll road will not begin on May 1, 2010, as widely speculated,  the concessionaire, Lekki Concession Company Limited (LCC),  has said.

Lekki Toll: Denies May 1 Collection Timeline
By Bennett Oghifo, 04.27.2010

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Opuiyo Ofo-riokuma,  said yesterday that LCC did not give May 1, 2010 timeline for toll collection, explaining that tolling would not start until certain aspects of the road were delivered as specified in the agreement reached with the Lagos State Government in the 30-year concession.On the commencement of tolling, Oforiokuma stated:

"Be advised that while LCC has publicly communicated our expectations that tolling is likely to commence in May, LCC has not at anytime publicly communicated any specific date, e.g., 1st May, as some people have been claiming is the date that we will commence tolling.


" With 1st May barely six  days from now, I can categorically state that LCC will not be commencing tolling on 1st May."He further emphasised : "As we have already previously explained publicly, including through the media ,  LCC's entitlement to toll is governed by the achievement of defined milestones, and follows a structured process.
"This is in line with international norms and best practice for infrastructure projects such as ours. "He said when LCC's Construction Contractor, Hitech, substantially completes the works to LCC's satisfaction, they would then apply to the Independent Engineer for certification.


"The Independent Engineer is a reputable international engineering consultancy firm, with experience in infrastructure projects such as ours. Since certification is not automatic, the Independent Engineer will satisfy himself that the new road infrastructure is fit for purpose and safe for road users to use," he said.


Source: http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=171940&printer_friendly=1

A respondent on STV's vox populi, Nigerians Speak, thinks the govt is trying to 'smoke out' poor people from the area.

If you can, monitor Silverbird Television (STV).

One of the respondents on STV's vox populi thinks govt is trying to 'smoke out' poor people from the axis!

Looks like the protests have begun!


I saw some private and commercial vehicles with 'no to tolling' stickers on them in front of Ikota shopping complex this afternoon.

where is this?

How true is Sun's cover story that UMYA has recovered?

I don't have much regard for the newspaper.

They claim that tolling is planned to commence on May 1st.

They complained that the Eti Osa LG is the most impoverished in the state given the substatial portion of land acquired by the state govt for various purposes.

They complained about the lack of various infrastcructure. For exmaple, no general hospital in the LG, lack of a single secondary school between the old Maroko and Sangotedo, a distance within which three toll plazas are planned.

according to the indigenes invited to the programme, the road was originally constructed 27 years ago by Lateef Jakande.

According to them, the FG offered to construct the coastal road in 2006 but the LASG of Tinubu rejected the offer.

discussion on the road going on on stv

There is a news report about the LASG awarding the contract for the light rail system along the Badagry axis to a Chinese firm in today's edition of the Punch newspaper.

Please post the report and link here if you can.

@poster/moderator,

Please assist in posting this news report and source on the thread 'What is happening on the Badagry axis?' in the properties section.

Thanks.

Just wondering. Why is rail not part of the design of the new Lekki-Epe expressway?