Lagos Public Works Sustains Road Maintenance Efforts

Fadekemi Ajakaiye

The Lagos State Public Works Corporation has assured Lagos State residents of its continued presence on Lagos roads to address various forms of road defects in spite of the challenges posed by the heavy down pour being witnessed at the moment.

This assurance was given Tuesday by the General Manager of the Corporation, Engr. Lateef Somide during a tour of some of the sites of ongoing road maintenance work at Itire-Lawanson Road, Surulere, Orishigun Street Ketu and Agbowa-Itoikin Road.

Engr. Somide noted that it is common knowledge that Lagos has experienced torrential down pour recently which has slowed down the intervention of the Corporation in fixing bad portions of roads. This, he said has also resulted in upsurge in the emergence of pot-holes on many roads in the state, especially those that are due for total reconstruction as such roads have outlives their span.

The General Manager however said that under the Babatunde Sanwo-Olu administration, the agency’s operations have been configured to maintain presence on Lagos roads in all seasons, adding that ‘’that is why you will see our men fixing the roads even in the rain with interlocking paving stones as the hot asphalt premix normally used is not suitable for wet season’’.

He said further that in order to minimize the challenges posed by bad roads to free movement of persons and goods during the wet season, the Agency ensures that palliative intervention are carried out with the use of boulders on portions that are almost degenerating into craters while the use of cold mixed asphalt and interlocking paving stones are also employed either as palliative or outright fixing of some roads, depending on the terrain.

According to him, the corporation swiftly deployed it’s men to many parts of the

state immediately the rains abated so as to rapidly fix the pot holes, using hot asphalt premix through both day and night operations. “We are taking full advantage of the dry weather witnessed so far in the past one week to treat many defective road portions day and night,” he added.

Reflecting on some of the roads the Agency has worked on within the last one week, Engr Somide said that over 20 roads were maintained using hot asphalt premix, 25 roads were treated with boulders to provide temporary relief while about 8 roads have been fixed with the use of interlocking paving stones.

Some of the roads where bad sections were addressed with hot asphalt premix, boulders and interlocking paving stones are Ikorodu Road, inward Ketu; Lekki Epe Exp. by Ogidan Bus Stop; Oke Afa-Ejigbo road by NNPC Bus Stop; Ijegun road by Abaranje Street; Igando Road by Olowona Street; Ijora Causeway; Costian Roundabout and Ayodele/Abudu Street. Orishigun Street, Ketu; Daramola Street, Alimosho; Isherin Roundabout-Lasu U-Turn; Oba Ogunji Road by LSDPC Gate- Agege Bridge, both bounds; Hakeem Balogun Street/Amara Olu Street, Alausa; Ogudu Road; Lateef Jakunde Road; Liasu Road, Adekunle Fajuyi Way; Olaniyi Street/Agbe Road; Idimu Ejigbo Road by Police Station as well as Itoikin Road Agbowa-Imota.

The General Manager however reiterated the need for Lagosians to desist from dumping waste items in the drains which in most cases, lead to flooding and damage the roads.