By LYDIA CHIGOZIE-NGAKWE

The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has expressed satisfaction at the quality of rehabilitation and expansion work on Section 1 of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section starts from the Sagamu Interchange and ends at Iperu Juntion, both in Ogun. The project covers 12km with rigid pavement, five pedestrian bridges, four ramps, and three underpass routes.

Umahi during an inspection of ongoing rehabilitation of the section of the road said: ” I am very satisfied with the quality of work and the speed of work.

“We paid only 30 per cent of the contract amount for this job, but I can assure you that they have done over 50 per cent of the job.”

He, however, directed the contractor to ensure completion of the project by the end of January.

Umahi also directed the contractor to do the shoulders with laterite where it had done rigid pavements.

“Whether it is in the bill or not, we are not paying for it. It is called protective work.

“There must be protective work to the edge of the pavement – a minimum of 1.5m if there is an embankment, before they descend with a two-to-one slope of embankment.

“The reason is to protect the pavement. If you don’t, water will start getting into it and it will break.”

He directed the contractor to start doing the drainage, where it should, and to begin the installation of solar lights.

“By the end of this month, we should have everything about this 24km road fully completed,” he said.

Umahi also inspected the 48km Benin-Ofosu-Ore-Sagamu dual carriageway.

The project starts from Iperu Junction and terminates at Ajebandele.

The road links Ogun with Ondo and goes to the eastern part of Nigeria.

According to the minister, the Ore-Benin Road had been in good condition.

“From Benin to Summit Junction in Asaba is being done by a concessionaire, African Plus.

“By next week, I am going to evaluate that job, whether the concession is working.

“If it is not working, we will take a decision because we have very terrible news during December about the way the road was totally impassable,” he said.

Umahi said that the Federal Government intended to get the full stretch of the road from Sagamu to Asaba in good condition.

”The little push on 11km by two from Summit Junction in Asaba down to the Head Bridge is being reconstructed by Heartland,” the minister said.

He commended the contractor handling the Benin-Ofosu-Ore-Sagamu dual carriageway reconstruction and expansion for a good and fast job.

“I have had to go and examine the mixture of the concrete. I have seen the method of reconstruction. It was excellently done.”

Umahi, however, directed the contractor to pull down the median and do a better one. (NAN)