FERMA begins rehabilitation of Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway

The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has began repair of bad sections on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
At the Dopemu section of the highway on Saturday, repairs were ongoing on both bounds of the carriageway.
The road was being graded between Pako and Adealu bus stops and the earth and median drains were also being evacuated.
Mr Kehinde Afolabi, FERMA engineer in charge of Lagos West said that the section had been failing due to pressure caused by a temporary “U“ turn created on the section two years ago.
Afolabi explained that some auxiliary drains were blocked when the state government created the diversion to help ease traffic when Dopemu and Iyana Ipaja flyovers were rehabilitated in 2013.
He said that although the diversion was later closed, the problem it created caused terrible and severe damages which had been rehabilitated several times.
Afolabi also said that the road needed concrete reinforced drainage channels as earth drains constructed on the highway over 30 years ago had become inadequate due to population increase along the highway.
He said that the median drains were being cleared and the road reinstated pending award of contract for major repairs of the road.
“We started the work four days ago and we have been applying boulders, stone base, sharp sand and laterite in some sections that require sub-base before we start with the placement of the crushed stones.
“What is remaining is the asphalt and before we start with the asphalt we would reinstate at least two sections on both bounds so that there would not be traffic at all.
“We have been carrying out palliatives over time, the major reinstatement would begin after we have finished with the construction of drains, “ he said.
He said that work began on Tuesday and was expected to be completed between Sunday and Monday.
Afolabi added that repairs along the Abule Egba section on the highway had been completed and that work around Ilepo bus stop would soon commence.
Alhaji Bolaji Akeem, Managing Director of BDC Nigeria Ltd, a building material firm along the axis, appealed to the Federal Government to constantly repair the road to alleviate the suffering of road users.
Akeem said that due to lack of drains, the road was usually flooded thereby causing gridlock and also affected business.
He said that an earlier drain of about 12 metres constructed by his firm to reduce the discomfort had collapsed.
“I put up a drainage by myself in 1998 but it has been embedded and it no longer functional, we want government to solve this problem, “ he said.
A motorist, Mrs Ayo Balogun, also appealed to the Federal Government to restore the culture of maintenance of roads in the nation.
“Why should roads be allowed to degenerate before rehabilitation work would start?
“In the past it was not like that, we want the President to restore the culture where roads would be fixed immediately a crack is noticed, “ Balogun said.