By Brown Chimezie
For users of the Lagos-Badagry expressway, this is not the best of times, as failed portions of the facility have literally turned life to hell for commuters who ply it.
Built in the late 1970s, this international dual carriageway for decades served as the gateway connecting Nigeria to other West African countries. As the road suffered wear and tear, palliative measures were taken by both the federal and state governments to make it motorable but with little success.
In 2009, the then governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatundr Raji Fashola, came up with a plan to expand the road to 10 lanes, with light rail in the median. The project was to start from Eric Moore Tower to Okokomaiko in the first phase. Ever since, after almost one decade, the project has remained stalled.
Initially, the task for the reconstruction of the road was assigned to one construction company while the rail line project was awarded to a Chinese construction firm.
On getting to Mile 2, the contract was allegedly terminated and both rail and road contracts for extending the project to Okokomaiko were handed over to the Chinese company. For about four years, the project was at a standstill.
The rail project has not gone beyond Mile 2 , while the portion reserved for the project has been converted to the largest open defecation ground in Africa.
It was gathered recently that, in an attempt to ameliorate the suffering of the masses in the Badagry end of the road, the Federal Government awarded a contract for the reconstruction of the Agbara-Badagry stretch of the road. This project has seen some sections of the road fixed.
For instance, both lanes from Ibereko to Buhari Estate have been tarred. But the area that is currently torturing motorists is the Agbara end of the road. The Odofa section of the road has totally colapsed and is unmotorable at the moment.
A commuter who identified himself as Otiko Ibanga told Daily Sun that the road has become a major problem for people living in the area.
“I have been here since 5am. The road has completely failed and we are stranded here. Only God knows when I will get to Lagos Island,” he said.
A truck driver, Musa Abdulla, lamented that they were worst hit as they were unable to deliver goods to their destinations at the right time.
He said: “In most cases, our trucks break down and it costs us a lot of money to fix them. We are appealing to the Federal Government to moblise the workers so that they can go to site and complete the project. The hardship is too much.”
The situation was even compounded by the congestion in the link road that connects Agbara Lusada Road in Ogun State to the Badagry expressway, as trucks laden with goods form a long queue due to the reconstruction of the road by the Ogun State government.
Most commuters who spoke to Daily Sun called on Sanwo-olu and minister of works, Fashola, to come to their aid and rescue them from the hardship. They also appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to help.