This is an undated post on LAMATA's website (Webmaster would do well to date such posts!):


Construction of Okokomaiko-Marina Rail line set to begin

With a bold inscription, “We are ready,” the contractor appointed to build the Okokomaiko-Marina Lagos Rail Mass Transit, China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) set the stage for the commencement of one of the rail line for Lagos, which is capable of moving over three hundred thousand passengers daily at commencement of operations.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) on a visit to the equipment and prefabrication yards of the contractor in Lagos, said the whole world is looking to Lagos as it pushes ahead to solve the transportation challenges faced by the over seven million commuters in the state with the construction of two of the seven rail roads planned for Lagos by the government.
Governor Fashola disclosed that a number of Nigerians working in the London underground rail system have been making enquiries on when the project would begin as they had indicated interest in returning home to help in developing the first rail system to be embarked upon by any state in Nigeria. “Nigerians working in London in the underground rail system have spoken to me that they want to come back home and run an efficient rail system.”

He said the vision of the state government was to make public transportation faster, safer and efficient, adding, “it is a winner for Nigeria and Lagos State. It will improve the quality of life in our nation and help transport goods and services. A good rail system such as the one we want to build for Lagos would surely deliver that. This is apart from the jobs it would provide for Nigeria. Currently there are over 4000 Nigerians working on this project.”
transport award
L-R: Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State, Mr. Paul Kalejaiye, Special Adviser, Rural Development, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and Mr. Shi Stone of CCECC briefing Governor Fashola on preparations towards the start of construction of the Okokomaiko-Marina rail line.



Some of the workers mobilized for the Blue Line (Okokomaiko-CMS) of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit system displaying a large banner with the inscription “We are ready” to indicate their readiness to commence construction of the rail system capable of moving more than 300,000 passengers daily.

“The Okokomaiko-Marina Lagos Mass Transit system would take 36 months to construct and we are sure that with its construction and eventual operations, we would have taken a bold step in solving the transportation challenges of the good people of Lagos.

“We also hope that with the collaboration with the Federal Government to use part of its corridor for the Red line which would run from Marina to Agbado and eventually Ijoko in neigbouring Ogun State, the stage would be set to move more than 1.6 million passengers per day.

“We have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nigerian Railway Corporation on the use of its corridor but we need the Federal Government’s eventual nod to get this going. We need to get faster because ‘we are ready to go’” the Governor stated.

He also spoke on other mass transportation initiatives designed to deliver affordable, reliable, safe and efficient transportation system for Lagos disclosing that the redevelopment of the Murtala Muhammed Road, with a segregated lane for BRT was nearing completion and “this will expedite the extension of the present BRT corridor from Mile 12 to Iddo and CMS”.

While calling on Lagosians to be patient as his administration delivers on its electoral promises, Governor Fashola called for the continued support of the people for the administration in making life easy for everyone resident in Lagos while admonishing them to pay their tax.

The Project Manager for the rail project, Mr Shi Hongbing while briefing on the Blue Line said the survey and detailed design of the project had been completed saying the contracting firm was only waiting the nod of the state government to commence construction.

For further information, please contact:
Kolawole Ojelabi
External Relations Specialist,
Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA),
Block C, 2nd Floor Motorways Center,
1, Motorways Avenue, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos.
Tel: 08038556452, 017905343
Email: kojelabi@lamata-ng.com; kolawoleojelabi@gmail.com

Source: http://www.lamata-ng.com/newsreader77.html

Pic 1: L-R: Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos State, Mr. Paul Kalejaiye, Special Adviser, Rural Development, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, Managing Director, Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) and Mr. Shi Stone of CCECC briefing Governor Fashola on preparations towards the start of construction of the Okokomaiko-Marina rail line.

Pic 2:Some of the workers mobilized for the Blue Line (Okokomaiko-CMS) of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit system displaying a large banner with the inscription “We are ready” to indicate their readiness to commence construction of the rail system capable of moving more than 300,000 passengers daily

Fashola flags off Lagos Rail Mass Transit project
July 26, 2010 11:01PM

The governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, on Monday, flagged off the World Bank-assisted Lagos State Rail Mass Transit project at the Orile tanker terminal on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

The project, which is being executed by a Chinese firm, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), has a completion deadline of five years.

Mr. Fashola expressed joy that the project, first conceived by the Second Republic UPN government in the state, had become a reality.

“This project which was attempted 30 years ago but was truncated has finally taken off. “The project when completed will transform rail transportation in the state and bring a lot of relief to the people,” said Fashola, who was represented by the Managing Director of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Agency (LAMATA), Dr Tayo Mobereola.

Mr. Fashola promised that the government would ensure that the rail project which started a year ago was completed on schedule.

The Deputy Manager, CCECC, Shi Hongbing, promised that the project would be completed within the stipulated period of five years.

Mr. Hongbing said: “The CCECC Nigeria promises to perform its best for the Lagos Rail Mass Transit Project having been tested and found capable in other areas of construction.’’ The project’s engineering consultant, Robert Searth, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the project, which is in two phases, would require five years to complete because of the elevation of the rail tract from Marina to Orile-Iganmu.

He said that the project, which would cost more than 500 million dollars (N75 billion) would include the construction of a bridge to connect Lagos Island with other parts of the metropolis.

Mr. Searth said that the construction of rail tracks from Iddo to Okokomaiko would take three years to complete while the Iddo-Marina axis would take two years.

Source: http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/5599202-147/fashola_flags_off_lagos_rail_mass.csp

I took a trip from Eric Moore, Iganmu down to Festac last month.

Here are some pictures from the trip showing work being carried out on the Lagos-Badagry expressway expansion:

Pic 1: Observe that the brown building on the right is partly demolished.

Pic 2-3: The police station (where you have the two flags) used to extend to the main road.

Thread continues here:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-527166.0.html#msg6895840

bookmarked

Lagos light rail will be operational by 2012 – Fashola
By Mudiaga Affe
Tuesday, 30 Nov 2010



The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, on Sunday said the first seven- kilometres Blue Line light rail project running from Okokomaiko to Marina would be ready for use in 2012.



Fashola stated this in Lagos after a working tour of the project site at Iganmu in Apapa Local Government Area of the state. The governor said the project had moved from being a vision to a dream and finally a reality.



Fashola said with the concrete piers already going up at Iganmu and other infrastructure being put in place by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, the company handling the project, there was hope that the conclusion would be reached quickly.



He said that by 2012, the first seven kilometres of rail would be ready for operation.



Fashola said the concrete pillars being set up at Iganmu would hold the rail bed that would link the rail line to Iddo on its way to Okokomaiko, adding that with the completion of the first seven kilometres of the rail line, five stations would also have been completed.



According to the governor, at least 2, 000 Nigerians have already been employed and by next year another 1, 000 will also be employed.



Fashola said by the time the project commences fully, no fewer than 8,000 people would be employed by the company handling the project.



“This is going to be the best project this State has ever had. You can only imagine the number of people that will be employed, both directly and indirectly, when the project is finished. It will reduce travel time and all the stress associated with traffic will be removed. Lagosians will travel in comfort,” he said.



Fashola noted that the Blue Line now under construction would form the corridor for the remaining six rail lines going to Agege, Alimosho, Ikorodu and other parts of the state, adding, “This is the most important of the seven rail lines that we plan to construct.”



While conducting Fashola round the project earlier, the Deputy Managing Director of CCECC and Project Manager, Mr. Shi Hongbing, said the pre-castings for the rail bridge had reached 70 per cent completion.



He gave the assurance that before 2012, the company would complete the rail from Mile 2 to the National Theatre.







Source:http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art201011300103768

hnmm

forgotten?

Several years later...

Should we blame the recessions- huge drop in the global price of oil?

Should we blame Ambode for the stalling of this project and many others that were seemingly progressing well under the previous government?

The whole situation is not helped by the lack of information esp with the way Lagos state operate- grand obfuscation of project financing and implementation

My understanding is the FG/world bank was funding this project with the lagos state also contributing it's own small portion therefore acting as the project supervisors

Re: badagry expressway and train to this axis