₦airaland Forum

Thanks chaircover.

My concern about the project being stopped stems from the fact that the road is a Federal Goverment (FG) road while the project is a LASG project.

It would be very unfortunate is the tram/train project fails. A functional rail system is a must for a city as large as Lagos.

As a matter of fact, I am shocked that much consideration has not been given to introcudeng rail to Ikorodu Road and the ongoing work at the Lekki axis.

But then, I don't have the demographics. Maybe the Badagry axis is more densly populated than the others.


Please keep the updates coming.

please help!

Phuck NL, I am sorry about the pictures. The situation is compounded by the fact that I can quite a lot of things of the laptop. I cannot just erase and reinstall the laptop because of this.

Anyone who can help with pictures of the progress of work will be highly appreciated.

Any updates?

Megastu, its good to hear from you again. Welcome back to this thread.

Guys, LCC/Hitech seem to be pulling all the stops o!

They have commenced construction of the second toll plaza just behind Chevron.

They have also began the extension of the lanes on the eastward route (i.e. Heading to Ajah) from the third round about and have reached Agungi as at this evening.

Bolt?

Please explain.

Help!

I noticed that there is no option for me to attach files to my mails from my yahoo when working from my phone.

Is there something I am doing wrong?

Anyone heard from Megastu recently?

His absence/silence is unusual.

Please let's know you are fine.

Updates and pictures welcome.

i discovered that I cannot attach files from my mobile yahoo.

Even to register on other free mail providers is a problem. They all insist on registering on a PC.

Frustrating!

Managed to get photographs of work done so far. Turns out they exceed the size limit for attachement so could not be uploaded.

I was trying to resize the photos when my laptop went kaput! Won't even boot!

If you can help with resizing and uploading, please post mail address so I can mail them to you.  Luckily I have them on my phone.

With the 2011 polls fast approaching, I have my fears.

The politicians are wont to play games with serious issues as this like they did during the Tinubu/Obasanjo era.

A lot of retardation in infrastructural development and damage to the people's psyche was experienced then.

Thanks Ireneann.

I am happy Julius Berger (JB) is handling the job. They have a reputation of doing their jobs effectively and efficiently.

Where exactly are they working now and what are they doing?

How is the pace of work?

What I heard previously was that LASG had compensated owners of houses along the Eric Moore axis and demolished the affected houses.

Are they still at the demolishing/clearing stage?

Any other updates?

I just listened to the Lagos state commissioner for transportion giving his 2010 ministerial briefing.

He mentioned that work is ongoing on the development of rail transport along the Badagry axis.

Can anyone give us updates?

Work on stretch between second round about and third roundabout has reached Sill Waters Estate (near Ikate Elegushi).

I do not envisage traffic congestion at the toll plaza. This is because the roads approaching the plaza are quite wide enough.

In addition, the use of electronic passes should also ease the movement of cars through the plaza.

The whole thing is like a naija home video or soap opera.  We'll have to wait and see how it all ends.

Where are our civil society groups? Now is the time to speak out and act!

Once the toll plaza is walled off and people are forced to pay tolls since there are no alteratives, it would be difficult though not impossible to stop.

Any protests or legal challenges must start now.

Like someone earlier remarked, the people on the peninsula probably pay the highest taxes to LASG yet the government has not provided adequate infrastructure. No water, no road. Yet taxes colllected from the residents are used to develop other areas of the state.

I percieve that LCC anticipates and is preparing for the reaction of residents.

Let's pray that God will deliver us from the Lagos cabal.

Just my two cents.

5. That leaves us with rich, high and mighty of Phase 1, VGC and the like.

Will they be willing to pay or will they protest?

Will they relocate to Ikoyi and VI like some did when the traffic situation became unbearable for them?

Will they speak out now like some surprisingly did during the UMYA cabal/kitchen cabinet saga?

4. The midlle class folks are likely to be more interested in getting to their offices and homes safely and early.

3. The midlle class folks are likely to be more interested in getting to their offices and homes safely and early.

3. The low class folks will have to move out or struggle with increased fares especially if they are salary earners.

2. The bus operators would rather pass the cost to their passengers than risk being charged with some criminal act.

Remember that their operations in that axis is not free for all like other parts of Lagos.

During Tinubu's regime, City Bus was granted the monoply, if my memory serves me correctly.

I think the arrangement broke down at a point and a company called T&W took over. This company can easily be brow beaten by LASG to
pass the cost.

You say if the people decide to protest.
I ask, which people?

1. I think okada riders will soon be banned from the highway. Anyone caught there will be bushmeat for those LASTMA guys.

johnie:
Lagos State government recently explained that the concessioning of the road under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative was the best option since government, because of its limited resources, cannot undertake all of the developmental projects to enhance quality of life of the citizenry.

Still not clear.

If what happens, please.

Lagos State governemt is solidly behind the project.

^^^^
Can you elaborate? What are the legal ramifications?

johnie:
According to Oforiokuma, work is in progress to actualise completion on the second section, including the toll plaza and from 6-15 kilometre distance after Eleganza Estate, is scheduled to be ready around November this year. Tolling at each of these plazas will take off after project certification by the independent engineer. Lekki-Epe Expressway toll plaza

Na today? Let's wait till then!

johnie:
On the mode of payment by motorists, the managing director said this could be carried out by electronic means or by cash. According to him, customers who prefer to use the electronic options will use the e-Tag or SwiftPass card. The e-Tag is a device that will be affixed to the vehicle windscreen, and will be obtainable after registering for customer account with LCC.

With this permit, and as long as, there is sufficient credit on the customer’s account, the driver will be allowed unlimited access through the toll plazas and will have exclusive use of the express lanes, since once their accounts carry sufficient credit, the barrier will open automatically to allow their vehicles have uninterrupted passage. On the other hand, SwiftPass is a contactless card that the customer can use to carry enough credit for a set amount of passages, even as the card balance can be topped up if needed. On approaching the toll gate, users of this card will have to stop momentarily in the lane in order to point the card at the card reader. If there is sufficient credit on the card, the barrier will automatically open to allow for vehicular accessibility.

Hmm

I wonder which option the bus operators will use?

This is from the Monday, 08 March 2010 edition of BusinessDay:

Private and commercial drivers along the Lekki/Epe Expressway currently undergoing construction, will begin to pay toll fees from next month, as the first phase of the road expansion project undertaken by Lekki Concession Company (LCC) Limited, is about to be completed.

Opuiyo Oforiokuma, managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of LCC, told CityFile that the first phase of the road expansion and modernisation stretches from the Falomo end of the road, covering 0-6 kilometre of the first toll plaza up to the second round-about, is being completed.

According to Oforiokuma, work is in progress to actualise completion on the second section, including the toll plaza and from 6-15 kilometre distance after Eleganza Estate, is scheduled to be ready around November this year. Tolling at each of these plazas will take off after project certification by the independent engineer. Lekki-Epe Expressway toll plaza

On the mode of payment by motorists, the managing director said this could be carried out by electronic means or by cash. According to him, customers who prefer to use the electronic options will use the e-Tag or SwiftPass card. The e-Tag is a device that will be affixed to the vehicle windscreen, and will be obtainable after registering for customer account with LCC.

With this permit, and as long as, there is sufficient credit on the customer’s account, the driver will be allowed unlimited access through the toll plazas and will have exclusive use of the express lanes, since once their accounts carry sufficient credit, the barrier will open automatically to allow their vehicles have uninterrupted passage. On the other hand, SwiftPass is a contactless card that the customer can use to carry enough credit for a set amount of passages, even as the card balance can be topped up if needed. On approaching the toll gate, users of this card will have to stop momentarily in the lane in order to point the card at the card reader. If there is sufficient credit on the card, the barrier will automatically open to allow for vehicular accessibility.

Also, an engineer with the Hitech, the construction handling the project, told CityFile on Friday that finishing touches were being added to the toll plazas, and hopefully work on it would be completed before end of this month.

The toll plaza is located near the newly opened Oriental Hotel close to the lagoon flowing towards Falamo/Ikoyi. Lagos State government recently explained that the concessioning of the road under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) initiative was the best option since government, because of its limited resources, cannot undertake all of the developmental projects to enhance quality of life of the citizenry.


Source: http://www.businessdayonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9074%3Apayment-of-tolls-on-lekkiepe-expressway-begins-april&catid=154%3Acity-file&Itemid=248

Sorry to disappoint you guys. The Punch reporter was right afterall. I apologise.

Silverbird TV eventually carried the news last night and lo and behold, LCC MD says tolling will commence very soon.

This one no be dem say. I see am with my korokoro eye and hear am with ,

He insists (and he said it with passion) that users have begun to enjoy the road. That the 30 year conecession period has started and the wear and tear of the road has begun.

When I passed through the first roundabout last night, the Phase 1 gate was still locked so users had to still turn at Amazon Oil thereby causing traffic jam between first round about and Amazon Oil.

This morning however, Phase 1 gate had been opened.

I am not sure if it is the impeding Easter Holidays, school children vacating, environmental sanitation on Thursdays or some other reason but the road was relatively free this morning even though I left my house 30 minutes later than usual.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see the real effect of the opening of the roundabout.

I must also report that quite some progress has been made at the Exxon Mobil bridge and that if they continue at the current pace, that portion may be completed over this weekend.

I also noticed last night that some work has begun immediately after the second roundabout to expand the lanes for traffic heading towards east (.e. Ajah).

Also, immediately after Chevron, they have started mobilising some of the resources to be used for the second toll plaza.

If all these are properly managed, I expect that within a very short time we would indeed begin to enjoy the road.

[quote author=phuck_NL link=topic=367311.msg5806776#msg5806776 date=1270068472]@Johnnie


Do you have any progress pictures. i.e of the completed lekki phase 1 roundabout and what the completed tolling booths look like?[/quote]I had considered providing photographs to back up my reports earlier but sorry but I don't have a driver so I am unable to drive and take the pictures.

With the many diversions within short distances, drivers with pent up emotions and expectant LASTMA officials, it would be big risk to take photographs while driving.

Anyone who is able to supply us photographs will be appreciated.

The report in Thisday (page 11) does not mention anything about tolling.

The report says that the completion of the entire expressway is "still targeted for completion by 2011."

It continues:
"Other sections that are fast approaching completion, the LCC boss said, were the expansion of the Exxon-Mobil bridge from four to six lanes, and the constrcution of new Toll Plaza, which will be known in future as "Admiralty Circle Plaza."

Oforiokuma also highlighted the ongoing constrcution of the new ramp bridge by Caverton Helicopters and Law School which will link Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue directly with Falomo Bridge."

I think this is a more accurate report though it sounds like a press statement from LCC.

I wonder where the Punch reporter was when the press briefing was going on.

The headline on the Punch report is "Motorists soon to pay tolls on Lekki-Epe Expressway"

These our journalists sef!

The report in Thisday (page 11) does not mention anything about tolling.

The report says that the completion of the entire expressway is "still targeted for completion by 2011."

It continues:
"Other sections that are fast approaching completion, the LCC boss said, were the expansion of the Exxon-Mobil bridge from four to six lanes, and the constrcution of new Toll Plaza, which will be known in future as "Admiralty Circle Plaza."

Oforiokuma also highlighted the ongoing constrcution of the new ramp bridge by Caverton Helicopters and Law School which will link Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue directly with Falomo Bridge."

I think this is a more accurate report though it sounds like a press statement from LCC.

I wonder where the Punch reporter was when the press briefing was going on.

The headline on the Punch report is "Motorists soon to pay tolls on Lekki-Epe Expressway"