The Lagos State Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat have supported the Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSPWC), to carry out various forms of intervention on over 459 roads across the state in the year 2024.
This was disclosed yesterday by the Corporation’s General Manager, Tokunbo Ajanaku, while speaking on the activities of the Agency within the past 12 months and its projections for 2025.
According to him, the Corporation has remained committed to fulfilling its mandate of ensuring that Lagos roads remain motorable and her drainages are in good condition all-year round as a critical element of the transportation and traffic management leg of the THEMES + agenda under the leadership of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Kadiri Obafemi Hamzat.
To this end, the General Manager said the Corporation has utilised the huge investment of the Government to enhance the free movement of persons and goods by working on 459 roads across the state, using various forms of intervention, ranging from full rehabilitation to sectional rehabilitation, routine maintenance and palliative work, while also noting that this would not have been possible without the support and purpose-driven supervisory role of the Special Adviser to Mr. Governor on infrastructure, Engr. Olufemi Daramola.
He said further that the Agency has consolidated its all-year-round approach to road maintenance and rehabilitation by carrying out its operations with the use of various maintenance materials which include asphalt premix, interlocking paving stones, cold mix asphalt, boulders, crushed stones as well as lean concrete, all in an attempt to manage the impact of weather condition and other environmental challenges associated with road maintenance operations.
While breaking down the figure, the General Manager noted that the 459 roads worked on, featured various degrees of work such as full rehabilitation, sectional rehabilitation, routine maintenance and palliative work.
Out of the total number, 316 roads were completed while work is ongoing on 143 roads.
In order to ensure that drainage facilities are able to provide necessary support for road infrastructure through proper flow of water, the corporation also carried out desilting of 433 kilometers of drains and carried out repairs on 0.96 kilometres of drainages.
On the spread of the Corporation’s operations, the General Manager said; “We have maintained the tradition of covering all the 57 local Government and Local Council Development Areas of the state in order to make the impact of the Corporation felt across board.”
This, he said is reflected in the daily work schedule and other data posted on the Lagos State website and the Corporation’s social media handles.
While speaking on his Agency’s preparedness for the year 2025, Tokunbo Ajanaku noted that, “Going by the support received by the Corporation from Mr Governor and members of the Lagos State House of Assembly in 2024, next year is anticipated to be better funded so as to facilitate more impactful intervention on roads across the state with a view to surpassing the 2024 record.
He said further that ”with steady access to funding, we are hoping to utilize all the dry days in year 2025 to rapidly deal with most road defects within the first quarter and last quarter while we continue to monitor the weather and deploy methods that are applicable to carrying out road maintenance and rehabilitation operations in the wet season.”
He also hinted that going by the progress being recorded in fixing roads in the metropolis, his Agency is hoping to move further into the inner roads in collaboration with the authorities in the Local Government and LCDAs who have primary responsibility for such roads.
“The Corporation is also undertaking some full-blown construction projects in select locations within the state which underscores its capabilities to successfully deliver projects beyond maintenance and rehabilitation,” he said.
Some of such roads which have reached advanced stages of completion include: Rehabilitation/Upgrading of Eluku Street, Mosafejo, Agbowa Ikosi in Epe Local Government Area (Completed); Construction of Unity/Umunya/Alh. Osebaby Streets Off Ago Palace Way, Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area (Completed); Reconstruction of Hydraulic Structure On Anite Crescent in Oshodi-Isolo L.G.A (Completed); Reconstruction of Hydraulic Structure on Tapa Street, Ijeshatedo in Surulere Local Government Area (Completed); Rehabilitation/Upgrading of Abudu Smith Street Victoria Island in Eti-Osa L.G.A (Completed); Reconstruction of Ladoke Akintola Road, GRA in Ikeja L.G.A (Ongoing); Reconstruction of Hydraulic Structure on Agunlejika Street in Surulere L.G.A (Ongoing) and Rehabilitation/Upgrading of Igbogbo-Baiyeku Road (Phase1) From Odofin Street, Igbogbo-Baiyeku IIB Housing Estate, Ikorodu Lagos (Ongoing).
The General Manager however assured road users of smooth motoring experience while they commute to various destination within the state this yuletide period as his Agency has addressed most of the pot-holes and other forms of damage on Lagos roads, while also reminding Lagosians of the need to take ownership of road infrastructure in their communities by putting an end to all forms of road abuses, such as indiscriminate cutting of roads, burning of items on the roads, pouring of petrochemical products on the roads and dumping of refuse in the drains among others.