JBN plans to shut down road for 3 months
By Olumide Adeyinka
Stakeholders and residents of communities around Berger area have called on the Federal Government to come to their aid and stop the contractor Julius Berger from going ahead with plans to close up a section of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway especially from the Berger area to the Ogun River beginning from Saturday August 3, 2019.
They claimed the closure coming two days before the beginning of the 67th Annual Convention of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) which commences on August 5 -11 would further compound the traffic of the corridor.
A resident of Aseese Village, Mr Ayo Lawal said the closure would further compound the crisis that people faced on the corridor.
He said in the last six months the residents have never witnessed any respite as they daily faced traffic congestion of the worst type.
He said closing the road during the period of the largest convocation of Christian faithful at the Redeemed Camp which would hold for one week, would throw traffic on the corridor into serious crisis. The Interdenominational religious gathering which takes place every August, attracts between five to 10 million worshippers from across the world.
RCCG have presence in 191 countries of the world, all of which often send delegates to the convention every year.
The travel advice signed Route Commander Florence Okpe, which was released on Monday, quoted the Ogun State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Clement Oladele, as saying that the section of the road would be closed to traffic beginning from Saturday August 3.
She however did not disclose the duration of the closure.
According to the statement, the travel advice was in line with Julius Berger’s notice of the “extension of the rehabilitation work on the expressway from around Berger area to Kara Bridge (otherwise known as Ogun River Bridge) around the Kara Cattle Market, a distance of 1.4 kilometres beginning from Saturday, August 3.”
She said “the rehabilitation, proposed to affect 600 metres of the corridor, would lead to a temporary closure of the inward Lagos traffic to enable the construction company effect the rehabilitation of the road.
“The diversion would lead to temporary diversion of Lagos inbound traffic to the same carriageway conveying traffic on the outward carriageway, thereby accommodating both inward and outward traffic on a single carriageway and the same section of the expressway.”
The FRSC therefore adviced motorists to plan their trips by allowing more time to their travel time in view of the construction which would narrow the carriage way and impair traffic.
“The general public, especially
motorists are advised to use alternative corridors like the Epe/Ajah
– Ijebu – Ode; Lagos – Ota – Itori – Abeokuta, and Ikorodu – Sagamu to
access Lagos.
Oladele advised motorists to bear with the travel inconveniences
during the rehabilitation period.
Motorists are also enjoined to cooperate with the FRSC patrol teams
and sister traffic and emergency agencies that will be strategically
deployed to control the diverted traffic, around the rehabilitation sections.
He also urged motorists to drive within the maximum speed limit of
50km per hour, prescribed by the National Road Traffic Regulations, 2012,
as the maximum speed at construction zones, observe lane discipline and avoid
driving against traffic, as violators risk impoundment of their erring vehicles
and liable to payment of N50,000 fine for any violation.
When contacted the Corps Commander in charge of Public Education of the Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC) Commander Bisi Kazeem said closure was at the instance of Julius Berger Nigeria.
Responding to The nation’s requests via a Short Message Service, SMS, Kazeem said the closure is to enable it meet its work schedule.
Kazeem disclosed that the closure would be on for three months, terminating on October 30.
His SMS reads: “It (the closure) is in JBN’s idea in their work schedule. They would have started since, but we kept urging them to postpone in view of last RCCG’s event. They said they must start now to maximize time before the rains intensifies and to enable them meet 2021 delivery timeline. If the rains permit they would end the diversion by October 31.”
