President Buhari To Commission New Airport Road, Oshodi Transport Interchange, Others Wednesday

Lagos State Government on Tuesday said preparations are in top gear to host President Muhammadu Buhari on his official visit to the state on Wednesday.

During the one-day working visit, a number of state projects would be commissioned by the President.

While in the state, President Buhari will commission the newly reconstructed 10-Lane Oshodi-International Airport Road meant to completely change the face of Lagos forever.

Specifically, the design of the project include the reconstruction and expansion of the existing carriage to three-lane Expressway on both directions, construction of two-lane Service Road in both directions, construction of Ramp Bridge to provide a U-turn from Ajao Estate to Airport, construction of a flyover at NAHCO/Toll Gate and drainage works.

Others include the removal of existing Pedestrian Bridge at Ajao Estate and construction of Pedestrian Bridges at Ajao Estate and NAHCO/Hajj Camp, construction of Slip Road.

Residents in the area are already benefiting from the project as travel time has drastically reduced in and out of the airport, while the 10-lane super highway is also a beauty to behold, especially at night.

President will also commission the rehabilitated 170-Bed ‘Ayinke House’ (Maternity Hospital) at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in Ikeja.

Other projects to be commissioned include the Lagos State Theatre at Oregun in Ikeja, new 820 Mass Transit buses and the multi-level Oshodi Transport Interchange on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway.

In 2016, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode unveiled the Oshodi Transport Interchange designed to transform Oshodi to a world-class transport centre and end all notorious activities in the area.

 The interchange was constructed on the public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The interchange has 18 lifts; six each for the three terminals that are equipped with CCTV, with the capacity to enable one predict when a bus would arrive at the terminal.

The Interchange will have three terminals. The first terminal will cater for inter-city transportation, where all buses going out of the state will take off and drop passengers on return.
The second terminal will be solely for the Bus Rapid Transit, BRT scheme, that will cater for passengers commuting from Oshodi to Abule Egba, Okokomaiko, LASU and so on.

The third terminal will cater for passengers navigating Oshodi to Ikoyi, Lagos Island, Surulere, Victoria Island, Ikorodu, among others.

The Oshodi project will also make provision for a mega shopping mall to be built through a Public-Private Partnership, PPP, agreements at the third terminal.

The three terminals will serve 1,000 modern buses. The terminals will also have 1,000 light effects to project the aesthetic of the ambience.

Under the Bus Reform Initiative, 5,000 new buses are expected to be added to the public transport system, while other components of the scheme such as modern bus terminals, bus depots, bus stops and segregated laybys are already springing up in strategic locations across the State.

Presently, 820 buses have been procured and are set to be launched under the Initiative expected to commence in May 2019.

Part of the unique feature of the initiative is its Intelligent Transport System mechanism of the initiative which will aid Lagosians to plan their journeys.

Also, arrangement is also being firmed up as part of the short-term plan for the buses to be assembled in Lagos, which would in turn create jobs for the people, and as well serve to properly maintain the buses.

Giving rationale behind the initiative, the State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode said the new buses and terminals were conceived to redefine public transportation in the State with the view to make the State globally competitive.