Ogun State Governor to conduct groundbreaking for reconstruction of Lagos Toll-Gate-Sango-Abeokuta expressway on Friday Aug 23

..as Craneburg continues interim repairs on Ilepa , Bosun , Pakoto, Ifo, Ewekoro, Itori, and Obada area

Oredola Adeola

Relief is in sight for motorists on the Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway, as Craneburg, the contracting firm, has commenced the much-anticipated reconstruction of the heavily trafficked route.

The official groundbreaking ceremony for the project is scheduled for Friday, August 23, and will be led by Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

The Contractor , Craneburg Construction Company Ltd, began mobilizing its equipment to the site about 10 days ago, initiating palliative measures on one side of the road to ensure it remains passable while full-scale reconstruction commences on the opposite side.

The interim repairs, which have already been carried out, span the Sango-Ota, Ilepa , Bosun , Pakoto, Ifo, Ewekoro, Itori, and Obada areas, with stone bases laid on the most deteriorated sections to ease the burden of travel during the construction period.

The expressway, a federal government-owned road, had been in a state of disrepair for over two decades before it was finally transferred to the Ogun State government earlier this year, following the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration.

Governor Abiodun highlighted that bureaucratic delays had previously hindered the road’s reconstruction. He recounted the joint efforts of the Ogun and Lagos state governments to take over and rehabilitate the expressway, efforts that were frustrated by federal government delays.

According to the Governor, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu now in office, a renewed appeal to the federal government for the road’s transfer to the state was successful.

He explained, "The Abeokuta-Ota-Lagos road, a federal government responsibility, has long been in a deplorable condition. Due to the suffering of our people, my Lagos State counterpart and I jointly wrote a letter to the federal executive council, requesting the road's transfer for us to undertake its reconstruction.

The Editorial gathered that after a month of silence, the concerned Governors sent another reminder.

*Despite Babatunde Fashola's eight years as Minister of Works and being from the South West, the road was not handed over to the state governments until David Umahi, the current Minister of Works under President Bola Tinubu's administration, assumed office*

It was further revealed that Tinubu's administration awarded the contract for the road in May this year.