The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, says the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kano Expressways will be completed by the end of April.
Mr Fashola stated this at the pre-inspection exercise of the completed Loko-Oweto Bridge in Nasarawa State on Wednesday.
He urged users of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway to be patient, saying that everything possible is being done to ensure the completion of the road.
“It is a difficult project to implement, that road is perhaps one of the busiest roads in the country.
“We have to manage the traffic, we diverted traffic for the safety of the construction workers.
“Building through 40,000 vehicular traffic daily is not an easy undertaking, we cannot shut down the road,” he said.
The minister said the road would be opened to traffic from Lagos to Ibadan, and beyond the toll gate, up to kilometre 116.
“What will be left is about 9 kilometres from kilometres 17 to 27. This is because the Oyo State Government is constructing a drainage across the road.
“That drainage is necessary, it will help to address the challenge of excessive flooding and climate change in the state,” he said.
Concerning the Abuja-Kano expressway, Mr Fashola described it as the biggest road project in terms of scope and budget.
”Abuja-Kano road is the biggest in terms of scope, size and budget. It is about 375 kilometres long.
”The road encompasses 41 bridges of different sizes,” he said.
He said that huge progress had been made between Zaria and Kano, covering a distance of about 137 kilometres.
The minister further said that the Kaduna-Zaria road would be fully open to traffic by the end of the month.
He, however, stated that the Kaduna-Abuja section of the road had suffered delays because the right of way had been encroached upon.
”The project is also delayed by the Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline project which is needed to boost our energy security
”That portion of the road is also very busy with no fewer than 40,000 vehicles in the traffic every day.
”We are working with the governors to help relocate all the obstructions to enable us work,” he said.
The minister also said that insecurity affected the progress of work on the project at some point.
”We commend the law enforcement agencies for their gallantry. They have made it possible for contractors to return to that site.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the completed Loko-Oweto Bridge in Nasarawa State and the Second Niger Bridge will be inaugurated soon by the Federal Government.
