Improvement projects driven by Governor's THEMES agenda
Lagos State and the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure are working together to support Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's delivery of the major pillars of his development agenda, dubbed: T.H.E.M.E.S.
This refers specifically to six pillars, namely Traffic Management and Transportation; Health and Environment; Education and Technology; Making Lagos a 21st Century state; Security and Governance.
This development agenda has seen a 'Zero Tolerance for Potholes Initiative' instituted in Lagos, coupled with a rehabilitation programme which is seeing many roads repaired and upgraded.
Furthermore, the state's junction improvement scheme to resolve bottlenecks at critical junctions. Sixty of such junctions have been identified, and in the first phase, upgrades have begun on four of them.
According to Ministry staffers, Segun Ogundeji & Rasak Musbau, 31 roads in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area have been completed.
Other flagship projects include the Pen Cinema flyover and the rehabilitation/ upgrading of six-kilometres of road as part of phase 1 of an 11-kilometre Ijede Road project, and upgrading of Oniru network of roads under a Public Infrastructure Improvement Partnership (PIIP) arrangement.
It has been further proposed that the Fourth Mainland Bridge, a 38km road and bridge project, will finally see movement. This follows the issuing of a Request for Expression of Interest in November, 2019 and the public bid opening ceremony held in December, 2019. In total, 39 construction companies expressed interest in the construction of the Bridge.
Companies presently at work in the state include Public Works Corporation, High-tech, Chinese Construction Company (CCECC), Metropolitan Construction Company, Arab Contractors, Julius Berger, and others.
Perhaps most significantly, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure issued a statement that the State Government will insist on Standard Operating Procedure, SOP, spelt out in all construction projects. This is in an effort to prevent the failure of assets before the end of their standard lifespan.
According to special advisor, Works and Infrastructure, Engr Aramide Adeyoye, going forward; "Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be spelt out in all construction projects in the State whether it is being undertaken by an Agency of government like the Public Works Corporation or Contractors."
This would ensure that necessary test and calibration of materials to be deployed at every stage of construction such as soil-cement, concrete mixtures, interlocking pavement blocks and asphalt were conducted in world class laboratories and properly signed off as having satisfied the international best practices bench mark.
The Special Adviser said further “we want to go out and fix failed roads but we must ensure that we get it right, so that funds hitherto channeled at reworking roads can be deployed to other projects”
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