Hamzat said this at the 2015 ministerial press briefing of the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure in Lagos, which he said was the last for the second term of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration.

According to the commissioner, the 281 roads account for about 297.517 kilometres; while the ongoing ones are about 237.771km in length and those that have been graded, surfaced and dressed are 71 in number and accounting for 76.740km.

Hamzat said, “During the period, we continued with our strategic inner roads development programme and the grading and surface dressing concept. At the heart of both programmes is the need to improve connectivity and ensure efficient traffic flow.

“Our plan to construct any road is informed by the possible users, flood control and management, and possible network connectivity.”

He noted that some of the roads that could not be completed during the period under review had constraints like the demolition of built up areas, which required community participation and support, as well as litigation.

The commissioner added that the status of the state as a coastal region two metres below sea level was also a major constraint.

“During the second term of this administration, there was an urgent need to design a programme that could quickly impact on the number of roads that were available to the public for use. This is a direct response to the demand for motorable roads within communities,” he added.

Hamzat said the ministry also engaged in the maintenance of several roads across the state as a critical component of the efforts at providing first class road network irrespective of the impact of the environment and topography on infrastructure.

The commissioner also said that a number of bridges were rehabilitated with the replacement of expansion joints at seven locations across the state.

They are Carter, Ikotun/Ejigbo, Oke Afa/Egbe, Dopemu, Iyana Ipaja, Alhaji Masha, Itowolo and Eko bridges.

“The replacement is to improve the driving comfort of the users; the bridges are not structurally defective,” he said.

Hamzat added that some jetties were also restructured to promote the use of water transportation.

“Being a state with immense waterways, it made perfect sense to leverage upon the water bodies to move the people. The administration then began the construction of model jetties to improve and promote water transportation. These include the Ipakodo, Badore, Osborne and Ibeshe floating jetties,” he said.

According to the commissioner, other construction works going on in the state are on course.

“We are still working on establishing the right of way for the Fourth Mainland Bridge. The pathway has a lot of people who have built there, there are about 69 houses to be demolished and that will run into billions in compensation. Some of the houses are massive but without plans; so, the work is ongoing but the alignment for the bridge will shift,” Hamzat added.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Mr. Lateef Raji, said in the coming months, the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure would set the ball rolling on how the monthly Internally Generated Revenue of N23bn by the state government would be spent.

PUNCH.

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