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Lagos State Governor, Babajide Olusola Sanwoolu has said that the country’s engineering construction leader, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is helping the state government to actualise its dream for a better transportation network for Lagos.
He spoke in Lagos weekend at the completion of the first Pile Cast on the Lagos Opebi-Maryland Link Road bridge through his Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Aramide Adeyoye.
According to the governor, “ what Julius Berger is doing here is not unexpected. They are known for good quality work.
Like the Commissioner for Transportation will always say, what we have here is a collaboration between the Ministry of Works and Lands and Housing.
“It is something that we thought about and decided that this was the best network that will work for Lagos.
So, what Julius Berger is doing here is they are seriously bringing to fruition our ideas on paper. And so far, so good,” she added.
Speaking while explaining the basics of the Link Road project to Lagos State government officials, the Project Manager, Denysenko Dmytriy said the first pile cap being completed is the first in a lot more to create a stable foundation for the bridge to be constructed over them. “It also offers a larger area for the spread of the concrete load that would eventually be on the piles,” he said. The Project manager also said that the project has been very challenging given its difficult terrain, “because all water from Ikeja come through here before it discharges into the Lagoon.
Nevertheless, we are Julius Berger and we habitually, professionally deliver excellent strength and quality even in challenging topographies.
This project is very important to Lagos state government because of its unique utility, and we remain strongly committed to its accomplishment,” he further said.
The Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge has a total length of 3.89 kilometres consisting 2829 metre road length with 276-metre Deck-on-Pile Bridge and 474 metre Mechanically Stabilized Earth Wall approach sections. The Lagos State Government’s Legacy Project as it called in official circles, whose construction is taking off 20 years after conception, is expected to link Opebi in Allen Avenue area with Ojota and Maryland through Odo-Iya Alaro underpass.
Sanwo-Olu at the flag-off ceremony last January said that the project scheduled to be completed in 2023, is strategic because of the huge traffic bearing capacity of the area, as it will help reduce the perennial gridlock along the Mobolaji Bank-Anthony Road that leads to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport. According to the Governor, “…in consideration of the exponential growth rate of commercial activities and services within this axis, and to address the challenge of the huge traffic burden occasioned by the growth, we decided to provide carefully designed innovative solutions to ease the daily gridlock experienced by commuters around Opebi / Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way/ Ojota/Mende corridor.” The Governor further stated at the time that, “… as you are aware, there is presently no direct link between Opebi, Maryland and Ojota. The available road infrastructure that links the axis is also limited in its connectivity options, thus during peak periods, the high traffic volume within the axis usually congests the Ikeja Traffic Network.”
Among representatives of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc at the event were Regional Manager Technical, Thomas Balzuweit, Engr. Nath Ikem, Engr. Bolaji Rotimi, Engr. Adegbenga Osunlana, Engr. Rasheedat Anifowoshe and Emmanuel Isibor