BY LYDIA CHIGOZIE-NGWAKWE

The Federal Government has begun repairs on the damaged expansion joints on major bridges on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, beginning with Kara Bridge.

The aim is to reduce accidents and improve safety.

Mr Komolafe Olayiwola, the Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, disclosed this on Thursday during an inspection tour of the bridge.

Olayiwola said the repair works were approved by the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, following reports that the failed expansion joints were causing frequent accidents on the corridor.

He said that three bridges would be involved in the first phase of the project.

They are Kara Bridge (Chainage 5), Punch Bridge (Chainage 13) and Magboro Bridge (Chainage 14).

According to him, the width of the road, which is 14.5 metres, has been divided into two equal parts of 7.25 metres each, to allow repairs to be carried out in phases without completely shutting traffic.

“We started work during the Christmas period but had to suspend it because of heavy festive traffic.

“We resumed in January, but public complaints over traffic delays forced another pause,” he said.

Olayiwola said ongoing engagement with journalists was to sensitise the public about the importance of the repair works and the need for patience.

He noted that although the expansion joints had been repaired several times, the heavy volume of vehicles on the road had continued to damage them.

The controller said that an improved sealing chemical, Sikagrout 928, was being used to ensure better durability.

“The manufacturer recommends 28 days for full strength, but because this is a busy road, we open it between three and seven days. The chemical is stronger than the ones used before,” he said.

Olayiwola said that the road would not be totally closed, but traffic lanes would be narrowed around work areas.

“This is one of the busiest roads in Nigeria. We cannot afford to close it or divert traffic,” he added.

On traffic management, he said the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps would be deployed to manage traffic and respond quickly to breakdowns.

The Lagos State Sector Commander of FRSC, Corp Commander Kehinde Hamzat, said at the event that reports from the corps had drawn attention to the dangers posed by the damaged expansion joints.

Hamzat said that lack of proper coordination at the early stage of the work worsened traffic congestion, but stakeholders had since agreed on a new strategy.

He said that instead of repairing one expansion joint at a time, two would be fixed simultaneously to reduce the duration of traffic disruption.

“We want the suffering to be once, not repeated,” he said.

Hamzat added that the entire repair work would take between six weeks and two months, noting that overloading by vehicles was a major cause of damage to road bridge.

He warned motorists against driving against traffic, saying offenders would be arrested and prosecuted.

“Our motorists are not patient enough. There must be change in attitude. Anyone caught driving against traffic will be penalised,” he said.

On bus stops on the expressway, Hamzat said that buses were not supposed to stop on express roads, saying that enforcement agencies were working with Lagos and Ogun state governments to address the situation.

Meanwhile, Andy Duan, General Manager, South West, CBC Global Construction Company, said the firm was handling repairs on Kara, Magboro and Punch bridges.

He said work would resume on Monday, while equipment mobilisation would begin on Sunday to avoid disruption to planned events on the corridor.

Duan said that work half of each expansion joint would take about one week to complete, while work on the Ibadan-bound section would take longer due to the number of bridges involved.

He gave the assurance that barriers, warning signs and lights would be installed for improved safety, adding that night work would not be carried out due to security and safety concerns.

“We are committed to delivering high-quality work that will last long and prevent future accidents,” he said. (NAN)