Following the daily gridlock experienced at the Arepo Bridge by The Punch Newspaper along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, due to ongoing repair works on expansion joints, the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Engr. Femi Dare has summoned the Chinese firm handling the job for an urgent meeting to find a solution to the problem.

Engr. Dare disclosed this yesterday while responding to our correspondent’s question about an immediate solution to the menace of gridlock on the spot.

According to him, “I have immediately summoned the contractor for a meeting with a view to finding a lasting solution to it.”

Meanwhile, the traffic situation along the axis yesterday was a nightmare, as both sides of the dual carriageway were blocked, resulting in a standstill as motorists were driving on the wrong side of the road. This led to long traffic on both sides of the expressway.

Our visit to the site showed that the first expansion joint where the contractor started at Arepo bridge had been completed and workers had moved to the next one near Arepo Bus Stop which a worker said they had laid the rubber on the expansion joint and it would be caste today (yesterday) and left four days to cure before moving backward to fix the second part of the expansion on the same side of the expressway.

According to the worker, who prefers to remain anonymous, there are two expansion joints at each spot, meaning they are working on four spots on one side and four on the other.

The source who assured that the work would be completed between December 15 and 16 said the reason the traffic situation at Arepo is hopeless is that traffic diversion is at a junction where motorists approaching the expressway meet those already on the ever-busy road.

Our source, who noted that other spots they did, such as the bridge before Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministry, did not cause traffic as experienced at the Arepo axis, said that by the time they move the diversion from the junction where it is presently, the traffic situation on the road will return to normal.

With Christmas already in the air, there is apprehension about what traffic is usually experienced during Yuletide on the ever-busy highway this year. (Vanguard)

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