The Lagos State Government on Tuesday, announced that the contractors handling the rehabilitation works of the Eti-Osa/Lekki/Epe Expressway covering Admiralty Way Junction to Jubilee Bridge section (Ajah) in Eti-Osa Local Government Area, will vacate the site on Thursday, 4th December 2025 and resume the rehabilitation works on the second phase by the middle of January 2026.

This, according to the Government, will ease the traffic gridlock necessitated by the rehabilitation works, reduce travel time, save important man-hours that would have been otherwise lost to traffic, make life more meaningful to Commuters by reducing stress and allow residents to commute seamlessly during the yuletide period.

At a joint inspection of the ongoing works to the segments of the Eti-Osa/Lekki Epe Expressway (Admiralty Junction - Jubilee Bridge, Ajah), the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi, was in company of the Special Adviser to the Governor, Office of Infrastructure Engr. Olufemi Daramola and the representatives of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), as well as the contractor, Messrs CRCC.

The Commissioner, after a comprehensive appraisal of the extent of work in relation to the situation on the ground, apologized to road users on this axis while he also expressed empathy with commuters.

According to him, "the first thing I want to do is apologise to our people. I empathise with all of the troubles that we must have been through in the last couple of days.

"I have been here all day with my colleague from the office of Infrastructure to evaluate exactly what's going on, and I can see that the traffic situation has been very tough. But it's also very important for us to fix this road, because bad roads are synonymous with traffic as well. So we have to try and get a balance," he said.

Osiyemi noted that after the measure of palliative work done; the road will be opened by close of business tomorrow, adding that the government is not unaware of the need to keep the road motorable to Lagosians as more people are expected from diaspora for the yuletide season.

He said: "We are on the ground to appraise the works and confirm to you that all of what they're doing will be stopped by the end of work tomorrow, after which the roads will be open for everyone to use.

"The government is also aware that a lot of people will be coming in from the diaspora, and we want to give them a good experience of our roads. So we will be leaving this location by the end of work tomorrow, and the roads will be free for us to use.

"Be assured that so far, for the parts that have been fixed, Lagosians will be happy because it is a well-done road, and I'm sure it will create a better experience for our road users."

He disclosed that work would resume by January, and the Government would have to do an evaluation of the timing as well to ensure that we have all of our facts in place for the Traffic management measures for the project to continue. He added "when that is done, we will announce in due course and will put in place adequate traffic management measures to ease traffic congestion along the route."

Speaking to newsmen after the inspection, the Special Adviser said: "We've come to visit the site to see the progress and perhaps open the completed sections to traffic immediately. However, while we appreciate the patience of Lagosians, we are also very wary of the hardship this rehabilitation work has brought to commuters. We have therefore instructed the contractor to temporarily demobilise, vacate the site, and resume work by the middle of next month."

Daramola expressed further, "We've taken a look at the Chevron intersection, and that has been opened and we have agreed that this section and other sections will be fully opened by Thursday. By the end of tomorrow, close of business, we will stop work."

"Physical construction works will be off, we will be winding out removal of the median separators ETC and a proper evaluation of the appropriate time to resume work in January will be done," he noted.

The Special Adviser added that Mr Governor, Babjide Sanwo-Olu, considers the Eti-Osa/Lekki/Epe Expressway as a critical infrastructure corridor providing access to residential, commercial and industrial hubs within the eastern flank of the State, and its rehabilitation is in line with the administration's commitment to providing durable road networks and improving the overall quality of life of Lagos residents.

•PHOTO, L-R: Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi; Special Adviser to the Governor, Office of Infrastructure Engr. Olufemi Daramola and the representatives of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the contractor, Messrs CRCC during the inspection.