The Federal Controllers of Works in Lagos and Ogun states on Thursday said street trading and extortion around the Ota flyover on the Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta Expressway were slowing construction and compounding gridlock.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola, joined by his Ogun State counterpart, Mr Umar Bakare, said this during inspection of Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta and Ota Idi-Iroko Road projects.

Popoola, represented by his Project Supervisor of Section one of the project, Mr Adewale Adebote, said that the construction work was being slowed down by activities of traffic regulatory agencies.

He said apart from extortion, the traffic agencies prevented articulated vehicles from using the Ota flyover, thereby compounding gridlock which spills to Toll Gate to slow down construction works.

Popoola said that the Ota flyover was being redesigned to include major outfalls to address flooding caused by traders on the axis.

“Between chanage 17 plus 100 to chanage 18 plus 600, a distance that covers Temidire, Sango Garage, Under Bridge and Joju Bus Stop (the two bridges approaches), has been redesigned and considered to be re-constructed as rigid pavement for durability,’’ he said.

He, however, noted that construction work was progressing fast on section one on the Lagos-bound carriageway where 4.32 kilometres had been constructed to final stage and some sections reopened to traffic.

Conducting journalists round newly constructed canals, he said heavy flooding which used to claim lives and prolonged gridlock along Ajala and Kola bus stops had been corrected with bigger cross – culverts construction.

Popoola said that the expansion of two major canals at Ajala and Kola Bus Stop areas were able to address major flooding issues that made several businesses and residents to vacate the area.

He assured that ongoing reconstruction/rehabilitation works on the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway would be completed before the end of year 2022.

The Federal Controller of Ogun, Mr Umar Bakare, while conducting newsmen round Ota flyover, the road sides and drains occupied by traders, said the underpass of the bridge had deteriorated.

Umar said the dilapidation was due to a low capacity drain constructed by the Ogun state government from Ijoko road discharging flood water onto the highway.

He said that the activities of roadside traders who block the drains with their wastes compounded flooding of the road, hence the redesign of the project by the contractor to absorb the menace.

Bakare re-emphasised that gridlock under and around the flyover was also compounded by refusal of traffic control officers to allow articulated vehicles to use the bridge which has capacity to bear such tonnage.

He said progress was being recorded with the construction of the tipper garage section on Otta-Abeokuta Road to final construction layers to end the usual hardship experienced on the portion.

“This place is almost completed before tipper garage, for those of us that are familiar with this road know how it used to be, the Abeokuta-bound of it has been completed.

“The Lagos-bound is nearing completion. After completion of works here, the contractor is moving to Itori-Lafarge around Papalanto,’’ he said.

The two Federal Controllers assured that increased Sukuk funding and synergy with Ogun state government would ensure speedy completion of the Lagos-Otta-Abeokuka Expressway projects.

Speaking on behalf of the Ogun State government, the Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Mr Lateef Yusuf, assured that the government would address the issue of the traffic officers.

Yusuf said the government would also address the issues of roadside traders causing obstruction as well as clogging the drains.

The section one of the Rehabilitation of the Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta-Road in Lagos/Ogun spans from Ile Zik to Otta flyover.

Section two of the project which has additional three addendums covers Otta to Abeokuta, Otta to Iddi-Iroko and touching on Owode, Ijako and Onihale links to Otta.

The entire project is being handled by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc. (NAN)