Kunle Adelabu
The Permanent Vice Chairman, Lagos State Council of Obas and Chiefs and the Chairman, Ikorodu Division Council of Obas and Chiefs, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, the Adegorushen V and the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, has stated that there is need for two flyover bridges at Ogolonto and Ikorodu garage roundabout.
He stated that the flyovers would help to manage the perennial traffic situations that the town and road users have been encountering along Ikorodu – Lagos road over the years without an end in sight.
The royal father made the passionate request for the flyovers when the Lagos Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corp, Corp Commander Olusegun Ogungbemide, paid him a courtesy visit in his palace.
He also informed his August visitors that the community has already made the flyovers parts of its requests to be included in the Ikorodu Sub Regional Master Plan.
The Corp Commander, while speaking earlier during the visit, had stated that he wasn’t surprised to see that the traffic bottleneck at the Ikorodu garage roundabout is still there after several years that he had sojourned outside Lagos.
Oba Shotobi, while reacting, stated that :
“The problem at our roundabout is a peculiar one.
“We had a town hall meeting last week on the Ikorodu Sub – Regional Master Plan where we asked the government to ensure that the traffic problem at the Ikorodu roundabout is addressed in the Master plan and should also be budgeted for in next year’s budget and they have agreed with us”, the royal father stated.
“We have equally put forward to the government the construction of a flyover at the lkorodu roundabout in the next year’s budget.
“We want a flyover at the Ogoloto junction and another one around the Ikorodu garage roundabout to Sabo market area. With this, those going to Itoikin road will not have to come to the Ikorodu roundabout as they will only have to ply the flyover “, Oba Shotobi stated.
“They are also making provisions for alternative roads.
“The Governor has told me that the Fourth Mainland Bridge is an agenda that his government will pursue. They have equally been embarking on various processes laid down to realize it.
“They have advertised the bid and people have bided, and they have also done the environmental impact assessment and identified corridors that will favour us in lkorodu”.
The royal father identified the fast development and influx of people into Ikorodu as major reasons for the perennial traffic congestion, while also recalling that it was easy to count the number of vehicles on the roads in the town while he was growing up as a pupil of Methodist Primary School at the Ikorodu garage.
“We are happy to accommodate and receive people and make Ikorodu conducive for the influx of people and businesses.
“We cannot help but have a huge influx and we still want more. The issue is that we must have a genuine Master plan to take care of all the associated challenges”.
Oba Shotobi, who also narrated how the construction of the Ikorodu – Lagos road was started by residents of Ikorodu and Ijebu before the Federal Government came in to construct a narrow bridge and make it a Trunk A road, also recalled that it was Gen. Buba Marwa’s administration that turned the road into two lanes each on both sides and added that it was further upgraded and modernised to its present state by the Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, administration.
