By Moshood Adebayo
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, yesterday assured that works on the proposed expansion and reconstruction of the Oshodi-International Airport Road will begin in September.
The governor, who spoke at the third quarter town hall meeting, at the Badore Ferry Terminal, Lagos, Eti Osa Local Government Area, also envisioned a cleaner and safer state.
Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo had. in May, approved the road be handed over to the Lagos government for total re-construction.
According to him, the re-construction, which had already been awarded, would see the transformation of the road from four lanes to 10 lanes from Oshodi to the International Airport with interchange and flyover
Ambode, who described the current state of the road as a national disgrace, said: “By the next two to three weeks, I will reopen the advert to get a new cost and all things been equal, work will start on the roads by end of September.”
On the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), which he said would also commence next month, Ambode urged the people to be patient with his administration as the plan which he described as an holistic and comprehensive waste management policy was currently in its gestation period.
Once fully operational, the governor said the waste would be collected in line with international best practices, while all parts of the state would be kept clean always.
Assuring that his administration would provide adequate bins to discourage indiscriminate dumping, he, however, urged residents to adopt new attitude to disposing waste and desist from dumping in drainages and canals.
During the ceremony, he charged the 20 local government and 37 local council development areas chairmen to ensure all round cleaning of the environment, with government officials moving round to evacuate waste.
As part of the initiatives to enhance commuting within the state, he said new modern bus terminals would be constructed commencing from this quarter in Marina, Ajah, Ojota, Agege, Iju Ishaga and Iyana Ipaja.
Ambode linked delay in the commencement of rehabilitation of 181 inner roads to the fluctuation in dollar rate at the time the bid was last opened, but assured that a new bid would be opened in the next two weeks.