Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway Explained

Country:NGA
Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway
Map:Nigeriamap.png
Length Km:81
Direction A:North
Direction B:South
Terminus A:Abeokuta
Terminus B:Lagos
History:Currently under rehabilitation and redevelopment
States:Ogun State, Lagos
Cities:Abeokuta, Lagos

The Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway is an 81adj=midNaNadj=mid expressway connecting Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, and Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State,and Lagos Nigeria's largest city.[1] The Lagos - Abeokuta expressway is Nigeria busiest highway, linking metropolitan and greater Lagos, with other Nigerian states.

The expressway is the busiest inter-state and intra-city route in Nigeria handling more than 250,000 PCUs daily and constitutes one of the largest road networks in Africa.[2] It is part of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) projects, concerned with road improvement and connectivity between the States of Nigeria.

BRT development

In 2017 the Lagos State government planned to develop and construct a BRT lane in the Lagos Abeokuta expressway. The construction and development of the BRT lane will occur in two phases; phase I is from Oshodi to Abule Egba, while phase II runs from Abule Egba to Ota toll gate, which is the boundary between Lagos and Ogun States.[3]

The regulator of the BRT scheme, the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), has boasted traffic on the heavily congested Oshodi-Iyana-Ipaja-Abule-Egba route would reduce by 40 percent after the completion of the project.

The passenger estimate on the corridor is about 230,000 per day, but it can reach 300,000.[4] [5]

Reconstruction

The reconstruction of the expressway was announced on May 14, 2018, by Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN) Minister of Power, Works and Housing of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with the goal of reducing travel time for hundreds of thousands of commuters. The contract was awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria and Reynolds Construction Company Limited at a sum of ₦22,000,000,000.00, equivalent to $61,380,000.00. Two sections of the expressway will be reconstructed: Section I (Lagos to Ota) and section II (Ota to Abeokuta).[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nigeria . Guardian . 2018-05-15 . FG promises early completion of N22.3b Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta expressway . 2023-09-29 . The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News . en-US.
  2. Web site: 19 July 2017 . Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway logjam: BRT to the rescue . 29 September 2023 . The Nation Newspaper.
  3. Web site: Sesan . 2017-01-31 . Oshodi BRT lane’ll terminate at Ota toll gate – LAMATA . 2023-09-29 . Punch Newspapers . en-US.
  4. Web site: Adio . Segun . 2017-10-17 . Commuters groan as gridlock worsens on Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway . 2023-09-29 . The Sun Nigeria . en.
  5. Web site: 19 July 2017 . Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway logjam: BRT to the rescue . 29 September 2023 . The Nation Newspaper.
  6. Web site: Agbakwuru . Johnbosco . 11 April 2018 . FG approves N47bn for Aba-PH, Ota, roads repair . 29 September 2023 . Vanguard News.