Sanwo-Olu to Commission Agege Pencinema bridge Saturday | AgegePulse Magazine

Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will, this Saturday, commissioned the Agege Pencinema bridge.

Pen Cinema Bridge 

The construction of the bridge was started by the immediate past governor, Akinwunmi Ambode but the Sanwo-Olu' administration has completed it 

The bridge would ease the traffic on the Agege, Iyana-Ipaja, road.

While speaking at the ongoing 2021 Ehingbeti Lagos Economic Summit, holding at Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, the governor said the construction of the bridge is one of numerous results of the past Eghingbeti summit and a reflection of the public private partnership of the state government.

LASG reaffirms November completion, inauguration of Pen Cinema flyover bridge | AgegePulse Magazine

The Lagos State Government on Tuesday announced that it was working round the clock to meet up with the promised completion and inauguration of the Pen Cinema flyover bridge in November.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Mrs Aramide Adeyoye made the pledge at a stakeholders meeting to flag-off the rehabilitation of Iwaya Road in Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA).

Adeyoye said the government usually chose the best experienced contractors to execute its projects because of the determination and deliberate policies for quality infrastructure delivery.

“We cannot afford to take bond money and then use it anyhow. It is not only that it is taxpayers money, it is bond money but it is ultimately tax payers money because you also pay tax so that we can refund that loan.

“So we were deliberate to say these things must be done well, people must be able to see what we have used it for (N100 Billion bond).

“That is why we have gone back to Pen Cinema to try to finish that bridge project and by the grace of God, that bridge would be commissioned by end of next month. We are working assiduously towards it and we will get there,” she said.

She appealed to residents of Iwaya to take ownership of the proposed construction and report any irregularities noticed to her office

She appealed to residents to call her lines anytime and day of the week to report irregularities on site.

“If a contractor is not doing what is not right, please don’t hesitate to flag us. Taking ownership is key,” she said.

She added that the Sanwo-Olu’s government was constructing roads to meet the needs of different communities across the state, adding that, no construction was done without consulting the people on what they need.

She explaines that the administration had adopted strategies to ensure successful completion of durable roads across the state, adding that, her ministry was an enabler for all the other aspects of the Sanwo-Olu administration’s THEMES agenda.

She listed various problematic roads including Mile 12 Road which engineering solutions and strategies helped to complete and deliver quality durable constructions to residents.

She reeled out other achievements of the government since it came on board in 2019 and appealed for the support of residents and other Iwaya stakeholders during the proposed construction.

Mr Olujimi Hotonu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure said the meeting was important to address all concerns of stakeholders before take-off of the project.

Olujimi represented by an engineer, Mr Rotimi Thomas said rehabilitation of Iwaya road “will terminate sufferings” on the axis while boosting economic and social activities because of the strategic location of the road which had degenerated.

He explained that a credible process was in place with collaborating sister agencies towards the relocation of services as well as Right of Way recovery for services and structures on the project path.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development represented by Mr Saheed Animashaun, a town planner stressed the need to seek the consent of residents on ‘Right of Way’ (RoW) recovery of the project.

“There is no way that some structures will not be removed but they will serve affected houses with notices. It is not immediately you are served that the structure will be removed,”he said.

He explained the process of evaluation and compensation as well as a seven days final notice before removal of structure on the RoW of the project

Presenting a brief the project, Mr Lateef Somide, the project supervisor said the strategic road starts from Onike and terminates at Makoko and was an access route to both the Third Mainland Bridge and UNILAG.

He said that the 1.4kms road awarded to Eastline Development Ltd, would have drains with covered slabs on both sides of the road to serve as walkways to residents.

“There will be relocation of services and it will be aligned with the road.

“And there will be longitudinal and transverse side ducts to prevent future cutting of the road to lay cables,”he said.

He explained that the area had high water table hence, the choice of interlocking stones as final layer to tackle previous problems of quick road degeneration.

He listed other accessories to be included on the road including a 24 hour lighting system.

In his remarks, chairman, Yaba LCDA, Mr Kayode Omiyale represented by Mr Lukam Thompson thanked the government for finally responding to the almost one year call; to fix the dilapidated road which had become an alternative route from gridlock.

Omiyale said that the road through Adekunle to Makoko was an easy link to the University of Lagos.

He thanked government for choice of construction materials meant to curb flooding of the road while calling for rehabilitation of other roads.

He also commended ongoing dredging of a canal on the axis which he noted would make the proposed construction the best durable choice to combat flooding.

He appealed that the only two inner roads in the area which were in deplorable conditions should be made motorable.

Contractors on the project promised to adopt construction methods that would bring minimum discomfort to the area as well as employment of some residents for site works.

Also residents on the axis took turns to thank the government for the project and raise concerns on the proposed construction.

RRS Officer Gives First Aid To Hit and Run Victim in Lagos

RRS Officer name withheld administering first aid to a hit and run victim on Ojota bridge before the arrival of an ambulance.

The RRS officer said, "I did this because of the value we place on human lives".

Lagosians who has been reacting positively on this gesture, described it as service to humanity.

 @TunjiDisu1

APAPA CONGESTION: AMBODE FLAGS OFF EXPANSION OF ABAT TRUCK TERMINAL IN ORILE

...To Explore Another 5,000-Capacity Terminal In Ijanikin

...Extends Egan-Agric Road Project To Ayobo, Orders Palliative Work On Ikotun-Ijegun, Others

…Inspects Ongoing Projects Across The State

 AgegePulse Magazine

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode on Sunday flagged off the expansion of the ABAT Truck Terminal in Orile Iganmu, assuring that work would be accelerated on the 1000-capacity terminal to take trucks parked indiscriminately on the roads and bridges.

Governor Ambode, who led an extensive inspection of ongoing projects across the State that last for about six hours, said the expansion of the Terminal was one of the resolutions reached at the recent meeting with stakeholders, especially in the Maritime sector on finding lasting solutions to take containerized trucks permanently off the roads, a development that is majorly responsible for the gridlock in the Apapa area.

 

The Governor said: "One of the resolutions is that we should have authorised truck Terminal Park and so my visit to this place today is to flag off the reconstruction of this terminal so that we can accommodate 1000 trucks.



"We would do this in collaboration with the Nigeria Ports Authority so that the call-up system can work efficiently. The expansion we are adding to this particular terminal in which we have decided to acquire the adjoining land, we would use that primarily for non-petroleum trucks so that we can sectionalized these trucks and allow the call-up system to work.



"This is just part of the efforts that the State Government is making to make sure this Apapa gridlock and the truck menace becomes a thing of the past permanently."



Governor Ambode also disclosed that the State Government has concluded plans to utilise an expanse of land in Ijanikin area with a capacity to accommodate at least 5,000 trucks.



"I have just been briefed that we have an additional land space in Ijanikin that can accommodate 5000 trucks. We will explore that possibility immediately; all that we are doing is just to make sure that there is a permanent solution to this whole idea of trucks destroying our bridges and roads," he said.



While appealing to Lagosians for their understanding, the Governor said that within the next six to eight weeks, the Terminals would be up and running to get the trucks off the roads and bridges within the axis.



Governor Ambode said aside the expansion of the Terminal, the commitment by the Federal Government to commence the reconstruction of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway was on course with the approval of N72.9billion by the Federal Executive Council for the project.



"You would recall that about two weeks ago, we had a stakeholders' meeting with the Vice President presiding in Apapa and at that meeting, we resolved that we would ensure that the reconstruction of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway would be awarded within two weeks which has been fulfilled by the Federal Government; they have awarded the contract and construction should commence within the next two weeks.



"We thank the President, Vice President, Minister of Power, Works and Housing, and that of Transport for reconstruction of Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and the rail track from Apapa Ports to Ibadan which is strictly a cargo rail that would assist in moving heavy-duty goods away from the Apapa axis," he said.



Besides, Governor Ambode said his administration was also looking at utilizing barges on the waterways to move heavy cargo as a way of complementing efforts on road and rail transportation system.



"I just think Lagosians will have the relief to see that we have actually done what is right and in their overall interest.



"I want to thank all the stakeholders for their interest and we must continue to join hands like I said and we would get the results that we so desire," he said.



Speaking on behalf of stakeholders, Chairman of Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO), Chief Remi Ogungbemi said the flag off of the expansion of ABAT Truck Terminal by the Governor was a new dawn towards addressing the Apapa gridlock.



According to him, "Today, I must say is a beginning of a good thing that will start happening in our sector as haulage operators in the State. Today is the beginning of a new era as far as Lagos State is concerned.



"We have been saying it that our Governor is an action Governor and his coming here today has shown that he is very dynamic and pragmatic. This is what we have been expecting and for the Governor to be here to see things for himself and flag off the rehabilitation and expansion of this terminal shows that he is not only talking but matching words with action," Ogungbemi said.



He expressed optimism that the steps taken by the State Government would go a long way to end the menace of trucks parking on roads and bridges in the State.



Earlier, the Governor had inspected the progress of work on the modern bus terminals in Yaba and Oyingbo, as well as the failed section of Sari Iganmu Road which had been abandoned for over two years, assuring scores of residents, who trooped out to welcome him, that contractors would move in to fix it within the next two weeks, while their blocked canal would also be cleared.



The Governor and his team also inspected the ongoing palliative work embarked upon to fix the bad sections of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.



While inspecting the progress of work on the Egan-Agric Road Project which is an access road to the ongoing Egan-Igando Housing Scheme, Governor Ambode said the project would be extended to Ayobo to serve as alternative route to decongest the Lasu-Iba Road to ease movement and further make life comfortable to the people.



He said the housing scheme, which had been on for about eight years, had largely been stalled due to the bad road in the axis, saying that the work would be accelerated, while interested residents would be allowed to benefit from the rent-to-own housing policy whereby the ownership of the scheme would be on monthly basis.



Besides, the Governor ordered immediate traffic signalization and palliative work on Ikotun-Ijegun Road, Abaranje, Isheri-Oshun, among other adjoining roads in the axis.



Addressing residents, Governor Ambode said: "We have received several complaints from this community about the deplorable state of the road from Ikotun to Ijegun, Abaranje and the other axis leading to Igando. I have come to see this place myself and beyond repairing the roads, we also need to do a lot of traffic management solutions here and so we are going to signalize Ikotun Junction and this particular junction immediately.



"Public Works Corporation should proceed to do palliative from the Ikotun Junction down to Ijegun, Abaranje and then we link it up to Igando. I know there are some complaints about Isheri-Oshun also. The part that we have finished there, we will look at that part and then from Isheri-Oshun down to link up this Ikotun-Ijegun Road and immediately carry out palliative now that the rain is subsiding," the Governor said.

CONTRACTORS COMPLETE SKYWALK BRIDGE OF TWO TERMINALS IN OSHODI

…As LASG Thanks Motorists, Residents For Understanding

The contractor handling construction of the iconic Oshodi Transport Interchange on behalf of the Lagos State Government, Planet Projects Limited has completed the hoisting of Skywalk Bridge linking terminals one and two of the interchange.

The exercise, which started on Sunday evening and lasted till early hours of Wednesday, was supervised by relevant government agencies, and supported by Police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), among others to ensure security and safety. 

The State Government had announced partial restriction of movement on Oshodi flyover to enable it advance the construction of the transport interchange.


Giving details on the exercise, Managing Director of Planet Projects, Mr. Biodun Otunola said the hoisting of the pedestrian bridge of the Oshodi transport interchange was a significant milestone in the construction of the project, saying that all hands were on deck to ensure the interchange is delivered between October and November, 2018.



“This bridge is the longest free-standing bridge in the history of this country. It spanned 53.2metres. It is only supported at the two ends without any support at the middle and it is part of the skywalk for the Oshodi Transport Interchange.



“This particular one links terminal one and terminal two. We also have another one that is linking terminals two and three and that is about 155metres long. The plan is that people can move from one end of the terminal to another be it from terminal one, two and three and then the nature of the terminal is such that we have six lifts and one escalator, and so in all we have 18 lifts and three escalators.

“For anyone to access each of the sky bridge, you have to use the lift and we also have staircase for emergency exit. The skywalk is part of the features of the Oshodi Transport Interchange designed to make travel pleasurable, enjoyable, safe and more comfortable for commuting Lagosians,” Otunola said.

Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Mr Taiwo Salaam, said the exercise was a critical stage of the construction of the interchange, saying it was in line with the vision of the State Government to redefine public transportation in the State.

“What is happening here is connectivity of terminal one and two of the transport interchange which has three terminals. It is a skywalk for pedestrians to link the terminals and this is an intermodal connectivity that is taking place.



“The dream of Lagos State Government under his Excellency, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode is to bring a befitting public-passenger transport that is sustainable, safe, frequent and reliable to people and the new Bus Reform Project needs all these appurtenances and infrastructure to be able to effectively run public-passenger transportation,” Salaam said.



He said the Oshodi interchange, when operational, would process minimum of one million passengers daily, while the Ikeja Bus Terminal which was constructed as part of the vision to transform public transportation would process 600,000 passengers daily.



“If we compare the two with processing of passengers to local and international airport, they are far below at about 21,000 passengers, and so for us in Lagos, we believe there is need to bequeath functional, efficient, safe and comfortable transportation system to our people,” Salaam said.



He said as part of plan for intermodal transport system, work was progressing on the Blue Line  as well as Red Line Rail projects, while the State Government was also constructing new ferry routes and jetties to boost water transportation.         



On his part, General Manager of LASEMA, Mr Adesina Tiamiyu said the agency was principally at the scene of the construction to provide the necessary safety backup and help to ensure hitch-free exercise.



“As an agency, the Oshodi interchange is a massive project and we are here first to give support to the project and secondly, we have also come with the capacity that we have to be able to provide an emergency services if the need arises.


“We have medical team with an ambulance on standby; we have lifting capacity with a forklift that could assist if they need them; we also have tow trucks because we have done some diversions here and if there are issues with broken down vehicles, we have to quickly do that so that we don’t lock up this road,” Tiamiyu said.

Meanwhile, the State Government has commended motorists and residents for their understanding and cooperation while the hoisting of the skywalk bridge lasted.


Salaam said the total cooperation of motorists during the period the flyover was closed to traffic, led to the completion of the installation process without any hitch.


The State Government also commended the project team led by Messrs Planet Projects Limited, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Nigerian Police and other security agencies community for making the exercise come to completion safely and without any incidents.

Breaking:

 Ongoing demolition and clearing of chanties at Railway Line in Agege by a Federal Government Agency who declined responding to questions fielded by Agege Pulse correspondent present at the site. Also, security operatives are on ground to prevent resistance from habitats of the area.

Agege Pulse learnt that countless notice had been given to the dwellers of the Railway Line before the demolition exercise which includes the pedestrian bridge at Moshalashi Alhaja. The bridge had been abandoned for almost 20years.

Pen Cinema Bridge: Agege LG Boss, Hon. Egunjobi Charges Traders To Vacate Alternative Routes

As precasting and construction works are set to take full gear on the proposed Pen Cinema Bridge, Agege LG Executive Chairman, Hon. Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi and his team embarked on sensitization of the people on the possible alternative routes that would ease traffic congestion in the course of the construction.

The sensitization is coming after the recent stakeholders' meeting held between Lagos State Government and the people of Agege LG and Orile Agege LCDA on the modalities of the proposed bridge.

Prior to this moment,  the proposed alternative routes which include Oniwaya Road, Desalu Street, Market Street, Kasumu Street, Capitol Road, Awori Street and others have been hubs for traders and artisans most especially auto mechanics.


Hence,  the need for Hon. Egunjobi and his team to visit aforementioned areas to address and admonish the artisans, market men and women to take all their trading activities back inside the various designated markets within the community.

Egunjobi urged the traders to cooperate with government adding that the proposed Pen Cinema Bridge, when completed would bring about economic boom and improved standard of living to the people.

He stressed that vehicle owners on the said streets should reach consensus on the particular side of the roads to park their vehicles for easy flow of traffic.

• However,  the traders,  artisans and residents of the alternative routes promised the Chairman that they would oblige his warnings adding that they are in full support of the new development

Proposed Pen Cinema Flyover Bridge: Agege React

VOX POP:

It is no more news that Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode recently approved the construction of a flyover bridge at Pen Cinema in Agege LGA. According to authorities, the bridge would be constructed from Oba Ogunji via Ijaiye road into Agunbiade road. The news of the 700meters long bridge has generated mix reactions from residents and commuters around the area. Below are some of the reactions:

Babatunde Josua:
It will ease traffic, it will be bring development and open Agege more for Businesses.

Opeyemi Oretuyi:
It will bring a monumental development to Agege, It is long overdue to have a bridge at Pen Cinema. Though it will affect some structures in the area, we can only hope that Lagos state government will compensate those affected.

Yomi Omoyele:
The proposed Agege Flyover will, in no small measure, transform Agege and its environ. This will be visible, especially, in three key areas, viz: social, economic and aesthetic. As a basic item of infrastructure, it has become a necessity to ease the Pen Cinema/Agunbiade axis, being a multi-directional link road, of seemingly intractable traffic congestion. If this is achieved, social value accrues naturally to the entire Agege Township. People get more attracted to Agege for habitation and livelihood. Beyond these, the bridge would be an aesthetic structure.

Alhaji Maikudi: 
It is a progressive gesture for commuters. Whether you are coming from Iju or Alimosho side heading towards Lagos, you have to pass through Pen-Cinema. But on a bad day, you may become locked up inside Pen Cinema traffic for two to three hours. However, with the proposed bridge, it is going to be smooth ride. We really appreciate the effort of Gov. Ambode to bring such huge development to Agege.

Alhaji Shakiru Balogun Hamburger: 
It is good news needed for the improvement of the Agege community and Lagos state at large. The bridge will definitely reduce the incessant traffic jam in the area and make the road more beautiful.

Alhaja R. Komolafe:  
The bridge has been proposed and cancelled before but thanks to Hon. Obasa and other prominent members of Agege who were able to convince the governor on the relevance of the bridge. The bridge will be very essential to white collar workers in and around Agege who pass through Pen Cinema daily. It will ease the ugly traffic lock down experience they are forced to witness day and night in the area. The bridge will be constructed from Pen Cinema to Ahmed Nursery and Primary School which is the main center for traffic jam.