Lagos-Sagamu Road Project: Julius Berger Still On Schedule

Julius Berger  PLC has disclosed that contrary to what some may want the public to believe, the Lagos – Shagamu Expressway project being handled by the company is going on according to planned schedule ahead of the projected completion date in July, 2022.

Only recently, the Managing Director of the construction giant, Engr. Lars Richter had cause to assure Nigerians that the Lagos-Sagamu expressway project among other roads being constructed by the company would be completed as contracted to Julius Berger, adding that requisite human and technical resources, even new technologies, had been mobilised to complete the jobs as scheduled.

A detailed tour of the entire length of the road construction site of the Lagos-Sagamu expressway Tuesday and Wednesday by Stockswatch team revealed that work was ongoing and steadily too. From Mowe to Ibafo, a lot of construction work was ongoing on the major highway even as many access roads constructed by Julius Berger were busy with huge vehicular traffic.

A walk through an access road through Mowe community inward Lagos indicated that the cycle of nature, that is, the coming of the rains, also have affected the holding strength of the access road earlier created by Julius Berger.

He said that for anyone to say no one knows the date of completion of the project, is falsehood. “We are ahead of the planned and agreed timelines and the pace of work is fast and on schedule.

”It is the company’s professional responsibility that staff at the site work 7am through 6pm daily and nothing less as some commentators want the public to believe. Julius Bergerhave the personnel and equipment necessary to do the job as defined by our schedule and efficiency requirements.

Commenting further, the project manager said it was true that traffic gridlocks exist on sections of the Lagos – Shagamu road project site and that it is howver largely due to vehicular accidents and related breakdowns often occassioned by impatience and overspeeding by motorists.

The road traffic coordinator for the project, Solace Orlu corroborated the foregoing. He said, “The heavy traffic gridlocks currently experienced on the Lagos Ibadan Expressway can also be partly attributed to the daily curfew as part of the implementation of COVID-19 protocol by the Federal Government that is enforced from 12 midnight to the 4am on daily basis. “At this time, the expressway is shut down at Warewa inbound Lagos, leading to heavy traffic inward Lagos in the morning.”
Recently, to curb gridlock and wanton destruction of highway infrastructure by reckless motorists, it was reported that the Federal Government may soon commence strict enforcement of the Highway Act whereby defaulting and reckless motorists, who cause structural damage on highway infrastructure are to pay for the repairs or go to prison under the law.