Kunle Adelabu
-Project may be review – Consultant
The junction improvement works have finally commenced on the Ikorodu Garage Roundabout for the purpose of expansion and decongestion for the purpose of free vehicular and human traffic.
The Contractor, who has been on site for some weeks and berthed at the park behind the Oga Primary School on Thursday (yesterday) moved its machine to the frontage of the Oriwu Central Mosque to begin clearing.
N.S.C.E Nigeria Limited and Advanced Engineering Consultants are handling the improvement of the road as contractor and consultant respectively.
The 8 – month project, according to the consultant, Engr. Kingsley, will cover both sides of the Ikorodu garage roundabout to CAC/ Total junction on Ikorodu – Lagos road.
Also, the project will also cover from the roundabout to Ayangbure road and terminate a few metres after Etunrenren junction and, from the roundabout to Ragolis road on the way to Sabo market.
The roundabout, which host the Oga statue, the ‘Iti Luwa Mesu Ara Ipara’ shrine opposite Sweet Sensation at Ojubode, the petrol station at the roundabout and other structures, will give way for the project.
When our reporter visited the location yesterday afternoon, the frontage of the Oriwu Central Mosque was cordoned off while the caterpillar was working with engineers on site.
THE IMPACT gathered that the work encountered some difficulties which were not captured in the project plan and the Consultant told our reporter may this may lead to review of the work.
It was gathered that a gas pipeline was discovered underneath the ground in front of the mosque while stating that they are still trying to see what they can do with it.
Engr. Kingsley confirmed the development in a chat with our reporter on site.
“As of now, we have encountered some problems at this point that we are (frontage of Oriwu Central Mosque). We have discovered a gas pipeline underneath the ground which was not captured in the work plans and there is no way that we can maneuver it”, Engr. Kingsley told our reporter.
“It is also possible that there are other encumbrances that we will also discover as the work progresses.
“Due to this, there might be need to review the work”, he added while assuring that the project will go on.
The project consultant also informed THE IMPACT that officials of the Ministry of Physical Planning will, in the next seven days, be coming to demolish all encroachments to pave way for the full commencement of the work.
“The work has fully commenced, that I can assure you and in the next seven days, people from the Ministry of Physical Planning will be coming to remove all the encroachments”, he said.
Our reporter, who went round the areas that the project will affect, discovered that the areas of the encroachments have already been marked for demolition.
The marking on the First City Monument Bank and other walls along the Lagos road, asking that such structures should be removed, is dated August 4.
THE IMPACT also gathered that parts of the features of the improvement project that will address numerous challenges facing the Ikorodu garage are – to change existing roundabout junction to an actuated signalized junction pavement overlay, provide additional slip roads and channelized key movements and construction of Two (2) multi-laybys.
Other solutions are the acquisition of a petrol station and three buildings for the bus park/terminal, expand the roads approaching the junction and relocate the street traders to the popular Obun Ale market, Oliwo Dikan and Sabo market.
The project also include pavement surfacing, re-alignment and reconstruction of drainage systems, provision of walkways, provision of lay-bys, road signage and other traffic system management (TSM) measures, installation of solar traffic signal and provision of safety signs.
Speaking with the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabir Shotobi, during the week, he told our reporter that the community actually requested for a flyover from Benson along the Lagos road to Sabo to solve the traffic gridlock in the axis.
“We actually presented our position to the government on the bottleneck that we have been experiencing at the Ikorodu garage roundabout”, Oba Shotobi said.
“What we want is a flyover which we cannot go all out for right now. The flyover will start from Benson area of Lagos – Ikorodu road and land at Sabo, but the government cannot do all that at once”, Kabiyesi added.
“Right now, what they are doing is the expansion of the road.
“The master plan for the roundabout is here (pointing to the plan). We have also been talking to stakeholders in areas that will be affected by the redevelopment.
“The contractor handling the project has moved to site and the project will take off any moment”, Kabiyesi said.
Alhaji Abiodun, a chieftain of the Oriwu Central Mosque and other members of the mosque who were on ground while the work was going on yesterday (Thursday), complained that the road expansion will affect the mosque’s fence.
