The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has said the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonsoki-Ojota highway will be completed in the next 12 months.
Fashola, while inspecting the project with the President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, disclosed that the reconstruction of the road would be completed by the end of 2020.
He said the plan was to complete the expressway in record time to reduce congestion of trucks going to the ports and ease traffic on that axis, noting that the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the road, which will cost about N73bn, will create multiple employment opportunities.
“All these roads have a completion period of 24 months and we have already spent one year on the road,” he added.
Fashola stated that businesses were gradually returning to the Apapa area following the reconstruction of roads on the axis.
He said, “Businesses have started coming back on Liverpool Road because the road closed earlier is now back. You will see more of that. All of the businesses that are shut on Creek Road will come back. We expect to see property redevelopment and property renewal once the road is completed.
“Once the economy of Apapa returns, all the clearing and forwarding, shipping, newspaper companies and all others doing business will resume fully and the economy will bounce back.”
The minister also stated that section two of the project which was not part of the original contract, was already showing signs of failure, due to heavy traffic.
“We are at the Oshodi area now and one side has been concluded and opened to traffic and this is how we intend to continue to complete and open, until we finish the entire road,” he added.
Fashola also appealed to road users to be patient during the period of the construction.
Dangote said many companies left the area because of the bad roads and congestion at the ports, adding that in 2017 and 2018, his companies lost over N25bn.
“The reconstruction of the road is already bringing business back to the environment. Before now, the bad roads had crippled economic activities on that axis especially around Apapa,” he said.