THE ever-busy Apapa-Oshodi Expressway will be closed to traffic from next Thursday, the Lagos State government has announced.
Coming barely a fortnight after the Third Mainland Bridge was re-opened to traffic after almost two months of closure, the Apapa-Oshodi expressway will be partially closed in order to carry out piling operations for the construction of the Okota-Itire Overhead Link bridge.
Announcing the partial closure at a joint press conference at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Mr. Ganiyu Johnson, said the operation, which would be in three phases, would last 120 days.
Johnson said the first phase, which involves piling operation on the Oshodi-bound side of the expressway, would last 45 days during which only heavy-duty trucks would be allowed passage in some sections of the road while light vehicles would be diverted.
During this period, light vehicles going to Oshodi from Apapa are expected to drive through Adeshina Street (by Ijesha Bus-stop), Agunlejika Street (Agunlejika Bus-stop), while vehicles going to Surulere could drive through Ijesha Road-Lawanson/Itire Road-Iyana-Itire and link their destinations.
The second phase of the closure which is also expected to last 45 days, Mr. Johnson said, would begin immediately after the first phase and would be in reverse order with the road partially closed to traffic going to Apapa from Oshodi while piling operation is carried out on the Apapa-bound section of the new link bridge.
“Motorists from Oshodi are advised to drive through Iyana-Isolo-LASPOTECH Roundabout-Abimbola Way-Bello Street-Godwin Omonuwa-Ibe Road-Cele Okota Road, while those going to Apapa could either drive through Cele Bus stop or Ago/Okota-Apple Junction (Mile 2) for Amuwo-Odofin, FESTAC and Satellite Town bound vehicles,” he said.
The third phase of the closure which is expected to last 30 days, Johnson said, would involve the partial closure of the two sides of the expressway (Oshodi-bound and Apapa-bound traffic) for the contractors to be able to complete the super-structural work on the bridge.
Meanwhile, Lagosians have begun to express fear of another nightmare of vehicular traffic over the plan.
According to Mr. Femi Falola, the timing of the project is not right, adding, “We have just been relieved of the pain we suffered during the closure of the Third Mainland Bridge. It is not up to two weeks now that the government opened the Third Mainland Bridge. So they want to suffer us the more.
“I Know how I suffered in the traffic when Third Mainland Bridge was closed, despite the fact that I did not live around the Island. But now that the closure will now affect me directly, it is going to be a serious problem.”
A regular user of the expressway, Mr. Dare Oyebola, told the Nigerian Tribune that he had begun to think of alternative routes since he learnt about the closure.
Oyebola, who sells at Alaba International Market, stated that none of the routes provided by the state government could solve the traffic situation, adding that the congestion would be worse than what was witnessed a month ago.
He said, “I will not deceive you, Apapa/Oshodi is busier than Third Mainland. Its closure now will lead to serious congestion. People should prepare to sleep on the road or offices.”