Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was in company with the Governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Malam AbdulRahman AbdulRasak, yesterday, commissioned 4th overpass bridge along Ikeja axis in Lagos.
This will bring traffic relief to commuters and motoring public on the Ikeja Along connecting Mangoro, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway with the Oshodi/Mushin axis.
Sanwo-Olu said the Ikeja Overpass is the fourth of five of such overhead bridges scheduled to be built by the state government on the Red Line corridor that will be inaugurated by his administration.
He said the bridge, a 620 metres T bridge infrastructure, is meant to maximise the efficiency of the Red Line and the Nigerian Railway Corporation train schedules by minimising delays associated with level crossings.
He said the infrastructure will improve traffic flow, enhance safety by separating vehicular/pedestrian traffic from rail tracks, as it reduces the risk of accidents and collision between trains and vehicles.
Sanwo-Olu, who disclosed that the fifth bridge, located at Mushin, would be inaugurated next month, said Red Line Rail, which started three years ago, would be ready for movement testing, while the project would be ready for inauguration by the visioner, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, before the end of Q1, 2024.
He said with the introduction of the first phase of the Blue Rail Line and the near completion of the Red Rail line of the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT), the government has demonstrated its commitment to prioritise transportation and traffic management, which is aimed at making Lagos a truly developed megacity and Africa’s fifth largest economy.
As part of government’s commitment to improve transportation and ease the challenges of commuting in the city, the government has injected 800 High Capacity Buses (HCB) and 600 mixed Medium and Small capacity Buses (MSCB) on its First and Last Mile fleet, and another 1,000 Lagride taxis, on the road component, while 40 ferries have been added to the rolling stock on the waterways. Ten new routes are being opened to enhance movement on the waterways.
When the Red Line eventually begins commercial operation, it will be moving 500 passengers from Agbado to Oyingbo, Governor Sanwo-Olu said.
Speaking before inaugurating the project, Governor AbdulRasak lauded his Lagos State counterpart for sustaining the legacies of productive leadership, which had been the lot of the state since 1999.
He described the infrastructure as another bold signature project of the governor, and urged the people to make good use of the infrastructure, as it would reduce travel time.
The Managing Director of Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Abimbola Akinajo, an engineer; said the Red Line is ready and waiting to begin test running in January.
Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Mudashiru Obasa said the overpass bridge is another demonstration of the commitment of the state to the overall growth and development of the people.
Commissioner for Transportation Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi said the bridge was not meant for staking of vehicles, neither was it for trading. He urged the people to make judicious use of the facility.
