New Lagos-Ibadan railway ready in May - NRC

According to The Punch Newspapers, The 156-kilometre new Lagos-Ibadan railway will be ready in May this year, the Managing Director, Nigerian Railway Corporation, Mr. Fidet Okheria, has said.

He also said commercial operation would commence on the 85km Iju-Abeokuta section of the new standard gauge line after the ongoing free train ride by passengers on the line expected to last for three months.

The Iju-Abeokuta section of the standard gauge new railway is currently operating a daily free train, which will last for three months.

This is after the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, led several dignitaries including Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, on a train ride from Iju to Abeokuta on February 8 to signify the commitment of the Federal Government to the new railway project.

Okheria, who spoke on the telephone with SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday, said appreciable progress had been recorded on the railway project.

“The entire stretch of the new line from Lagos to Ibadan would have been completed in May this year,” he added.

The NRC managing director said the contractor handling the project, China Civil Engineering and Construction Company, would need to lay rail track from Iju to Ebute Meta and extend it to the Lagos port.

He said the contractor had also done substantial work on the Ibadan-Abeokuta end of the project because it had approached the construction simultaneously from both the Lagos and Ibadan ends when the project started.

Okheria also said the CCECC was not expected to encounter many difficulties in the execution of the Lagos-Iju work having secured the cooperation of the Lagos State Government and other affected stakeholders and had jointly agreed on how to handle the various knotty issues.

About 30 coaches, including two sets of the diesel multiple unit, would be dedicated to the new line after the three months’ free train ride, the NRC boss said.

The Deputy Director, Public Relations at the NRC, Mr Yakubu Mahmoud, said the three-month free train period was also to enable the corporation to effectively determine the number of trains that would be run on the route when full commercial operation commenced.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who was initially billed to grace the test ride with Amaechi, was absent. No reason was given for his absence.

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, at the inauguration of the first phase of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail in Abeokuta, warned against politicising the project.

He said, “This is not a political vote gathering but my house is somewhere in that direction not far from here and this used to be part of my hunting ground. So, I came to see for what my hunting ground was appropriated and so far, so content.”

Source:
The Punch

Lagos Marathon: These Are The Alternative Routes To Follow

The Access Bank Lagos City Marathon will hold as from 6.00am on Saturday, 2nd February 2019.

MARATHON DEDICATED ROUTE
The race will commence from the National Stadium (on Funsho Williams Avenue) and will pass through Barrack, Ojuelegba, Dorman – Long Bridge, Fadeyi (on the main carriageway), Obanikoro, Anthony, Gbagada, Third Mainland Bridge, Adeniji Adele, Osborne Road, Alfred Rewane (i.e. Old Kingsway Road), Falomo Roundabout, Bourdillion Road, Cable Bridge, Admiralty Way, Lekki 1st Roundabout, Admiralty Toll Plaza, Ozumba Mbadiwe Road, Akin Adesola, Bishop Oluwole Street and end at Eko Atlantic City.

ALTERNATIVE ROUTES FOR MOTORISTS ON MARATHON DAY
As a result of road closure for the marathon, the following alternative routes are available for motorists:

1. From Eko Bridge, motorists inward journey Mainland shall be diverted to Costain to connect Ebute-Metta, Orile, Nigerian Breweries, and Bode Thomas through Apapa Road (now Moshood Abiola Way).

2. From Alaka Estate, motorists inward Ojuelegba shall be diverted to Iponri Estate.

3. Motorists from Masha inward journey Stadium shall be diverted to Shitta Roundabout for onward movement through Falolu and Adeniran Ogunsanya Roads to their various destinations.

4. Motorists from Apapa/Orile-Iganmu to Funsho Williams shall be diverted to Apapa Road to continue their journey.

5. On Ikorodu Road, movement is allowed in both directions between Ojota and Anthony (i.e. coming out of Anthony Village). Beyond Anthony, traffic is only allowed inward journey Fadeyi and Funsho Williams Avenue. On the other hand, traffic shall be restricted from Funsho Williams Avenue inward Anthony.

6. From Apapa-Oshodi Expressway (i.e. from Mile 2), motorists shall be diverted through BOC Gases/ Armed Forces Resettlement Centre on the service lane to Agege Motor Road. Traffic will also be diverted to Town Planning Way before Anthony Oke. (Note that Gbagada inward 3rd Mainland Bridge will be closed to traffic from Anthony-Oke)

7. Motorists from Old Toll Gate moving through Alapere, Ogudu shall be diverted to Gbagada, Oworonshoki-Oshodi-Apapa Expressway and navigate their journey to destination(s).

8. From Ajah to Ozumba Mbadiwe Street through Lekki, traffic shall be diverted to Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 2.

9. Motorists shall be diverted to Alexandra Road from Cable Bridge while Bourdillion will be temporarily closed to traffic.

10. From Awolowo Road, motorists shall be diverted to Falomo Bridge to connect destination.

11. Motorists from Bonny Camp Roundabout on Ozumba Mbadiwe Road shall be diverted to Kofo Abayomi Street through old Mr. Biggs.

Please note that all adjoining streets and feeder roads leading to the route of the Lagos City Marathon shall be temporarily closed to traffic to ensure a hitch-free exercise, safety and security of athletes.

While all inconveniences are highly regretted, the organizers wish to seek the cooperation of all road users for a successful event.

- LASTMA