Lagos Govt Reopens Odo Iya Alaro Bridge, Declares Zero Tolerance For Infrastructure Abuse
Lagos Govt Reopens Odo Iya Alaro Bridge, Declares Zero Tolerance For Infrastructure Abuse
Lagos State government on Monday opened the Ojota and Maryland sections of the Odo Iya Alaro Bridge in Maryland, after months of closure due to rehabilitation works.
The Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, performed the official tape cutting ritual marking reopening of the road for public use, lamented incessant stealing of manhole covers on roads across the state, just as he declared zero tolerance for infrastructure abuse in the state.
To curb activities of vandals who specialise in manhole covers, the Deputy Governor said the state resorted to the use of fibres to fabricate the covers instead of steel, threatening that anyone caught stealing them will be prosecuted.
Hamzat said: “Everybody is saying that maintenance of infrastructure is a challenge but in Lagos we are saying it is not, this informed our decision to maintain this infrastructure and put it in good shape.
“The expansion joints which are necessary accessories for bridges are now repaired and in good shape and all the manholes that were stolen have been replaced” he added.
He added: “But it is important for me to say that these new manhole covers are fibres not metals. So if you take it, it is useless.
But the manhole covers protect people. It is to protect human beings so that they don’t fall off bridges, this is a safety issue.
According to him, the new manhole covers are made of fibre, unlike previous ones made of metal which is attractive to vandals.
“It is difficult to remove but if you are able to remove it, it’s useless to you, it is neither glass or metal and if we catch you we prosecute you.’’
He stated that the administration focussed on road and bridge infrastructure to reduce travel time – save important man-hours that would have been otherwise lost to traffic; boost interconnectivity; provide better riding surface; eliminate traffic gridlocks and generally make life more meaningful to commuters in Lagos State.
The deputy governor added the current administration places a high premium on the safety of lives of the people , saying many pedestrian bridges have also been identified for routine maintenance.
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Hamzat noted that the wilful abuse and pilfering of road infrastructure furniture has re-enacted the need for zero tolerance for a recurrent spate of misuse of roads and bridges across the state.
He said to ensure the sustainability of the recently repaired sections of the bridge and boost efforts at revamp roads, bridges as well as the massive abuse of government infrastructure, the state government has resolved to tackle infrastructure abuse and other security threats brought about by the misuse of its numerous roads and bridges head-on.
Also speaking at the event, Special Adviser, Office of Infrastructure, Engineer Olufemi Daramola said the bridge which had been closed to traffic for months was completed and reopened to traffic ahead of schedule because the government was eager to alleviate the suffering of road users.
It would be recalled that work started on the Ojota-bound side of the Bridge on 22nd July 2024 and finished on 23rd August 2024. while work commenced on the second phase, that is the Maryland-bound section on the 23rd of August, 2024 and finished on the 13th of September, 2024, which is fifty-four days after commencement.
