Lagos highway flooding: FG adopts early measures ahead of rainy season – official

Mr Olukayode Popoola, the Federal Controller of Works says work on drainage projects is ongoing, ahead of the rainy season to avert flooding in Lagos.

Popoola told our reporter in Lagos on Monday that contractors had moved to sites since November 2020 and were still evacuating highway drains to tackle flooding in the city.

According to him, the Federal Government had awarded contracts for the drainage projects to ensure the work are completed on time.

He added that priority was also given to drainage works in ongoing projects across the state to take care of surface run offs on highways.

“We planned for the coming rainy season by appointing a contractor, who had mobilised to site since November and is doing desilting.

“They have worked at Ijora side, they have worked at Sura, Iddo, Iganmu and on Eko Bridge opening all the weep holes,” he said.

Speaking on blocked weep holes on the Ikeja along bus stop section of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, the controller assured that Julius Berger, the contractor handling a contract on the highway, would attend to it.

He said that contractors on all projects in the state had extended work hours beyond the usual eight hours daily schedule, to fast track construction works ahead of the rainy season.

“Government is also encouraging the contractors by paying,” he said.

Also commenting on the ongoing Ikorodu – Sagamu Road project, Popoola said that the contractors were fixing critically failed sections on the highway to reduce discomfort to road users as the construction works progressed.

“What we have done with Ikorodu-Sagamu Road is to look at the critically failed sections because of forthcoming rainy season.

“The contractors will attend to those portions first, which is part of the carriageway.

“There are some areas that are prone to flooding yearly, so they have to attend to all those areas ahead of rainy season.

“Ikorodu-Sagamu project is close to 30 per cent completion,” Popoola told our reporter.

He added that several palliatives works had been done across the state to minimise the impact of the rainy season on roads users.

Speaking on the ongoing Lagos – Badagry Expressway project specifically, the section under supervision of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, Popoola said that 30 kilometres of new drainage channels had been completed.

“As at yesterday, CGC had done about 15 kilometres of concrete lined drains, so they want to make sure they arrest the flooding before they will now build up the road and attend to the carriageways.

“They are attending to the drainages first because of flood.

“Asphalt and water are not friends and you need to arrest the flood; take away the water from the road before you can now say you want to put asphalt.

“They have achieved about 15 kilometre of lined drains on both sides, so they will now come and then build the road, put the stone base, binder course, wearing course.

“They have achieved about four kilometres of asphalt first, now they are doing the concrete lined drains after which they will come back to the carriageway to continue,” he said.

It was reported that three independent contractors are working on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway under the supervision of the Lagos State Government, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing.

The Lagos State Government is supervising the work on the section from Eric Moore Road to Okokomaiko while FERMA has jurisdiction over maintenance of the section from Igbo-Elerin to Agbara.

The Federal Ministry of Works and Housing is supervising the work from Agbara to Badagry and the Seme border on the expressway being expanded from four to 10 lanes.