Julius Berger Set To Address Traffic Congestion In Nigeria's Commercial Capital City Of Lagos ..... Navigates Complex Engineering Challenges In Delivering Lasting Solutions

 

Dr. Peer Lubasch
Managing Director, JB Nigeria, Plc

"Though we continue to navigate complex engineering challenges to deliver a lasting solution to Lagos’ traffic congestion, the planned May 2025 deadline for handover to our client remains sacrosanct." Dymitry Denysenko, Project Manager, Lagos-Opebi-Mende 

Penultimate week, the Project Manager of the ongoing Lagos-Opebi-Mende roads project, Julius Berger’s Dymitry Denysenko declared that, with the near-completion of the ongoing Lagos-Opebi-Mainland Roads and Bridges project, there is no gain-saying the fact that Julius Berger looks set to deliver lasting solutions to the notorious Lagos Traffic congestion.

Stating that work at the project site is steadily progressing to an end, he added that, though we continue to navigate complex engineering challenges to deliver a lasting solution to Lagos’ traffic congestion, the planned May 2025 deadline for handover to our client remains sacrosanct.

He further said that every milestone that has been constructed on the project takes Lagos  closer to transforming mobility within the Ikeja-Ojota corridor, adding that, once completed, the vital infrastructure will not only ease commuter stress but also enhance connectivity, drive economic activity, and improve the overall transport experience in Lagos.

The Lagos-Opebi-Mende Road project is one of the many projects being undertaken by leading engineering construction company, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC. across the country with each designed to solve particularly peculiar problem in the operational areas. But by its many peculiarities, the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu chose to tag the Lagos-Opebi-Mende Road and link bridge as one of his legacy projects.

Currently, Julius Berger is rounding up its work at the site with unwavering resolve to deliver a bridge and road network that supports the continued progress of Lagos State and needed respite to commuters in the region.

The scope of the contract agreed upon in 2022 included the reconstruction of Opebi Road, construction of Odo Alaro Bridge, construction of Odo Alaro Underpass 1, construction of Odo Alaro Underpass 2, construction of deck on pile link bridges, and reconstruction of Maryland U-turn.

Giving an update on the state of the project, the Project Manager said, reconstruction of Opebi Road is 100% completed, construction of Odo Alaro Bridge, 100% completed, construction of Odo Alaro Underpass 1 completed, construction of Odo Alaro Underpass 2 almost completed, construction of deck on pile link bridges completed, and reconstruction of Maryland U-turn is 100% completed.

With an agreed road length of 4.52km, Pile depth of 40m, Bored piles numbering 1500 and a Bridge structure of 640m in length, Lagos state government reasoned that an iconic project as the Opebi-Mende link Bridge and approach roads would no doubt help to address the recurrent traffic and transportation hiccups on that axis of the state.

The state government was to summarise it all thus: ‘It is a known fact that the people are the ultimate beneficiaries of development projects like this. As promised, the State Government led by Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu will continue to take concrete steps toward ensuring the delivery of the dividends of democracy to our people. Evidently, this particular project, like many that have been executed across sectors, will add on as a good example of making life more abundant for the governed.

Another project being handled by the company in Lagos is the reconstruction of Idumagbo Avenue, Adeniji Adele, Ojo Giwa, Oroyinyin, Okoya, Moshalashi and Iga-Iduganran Streets in Lagos Island Local Government Area, a part of the state where daily vehicular traffic had posed serious threat to the flow of goods, services and commerce.

According to the state governor, the reconstruction projects in such locked spaces as the Local Government Area is to assist to provide conducive business environment and promote equal opportunities for the people to actualize their full potentials.

According to the Regional Manager, Technical, Region West, Christl Thomas, we build and rebuild road infrastructures to the taste of our clients. Look at what we have started doing at Idumagbo. It signposts what the outcome will be eventually; "we build and rebuild road infrastructures to the taste of our clients. Look at what we have started doing at Idumagbo. It signposts what the outcome will be eventually; we will extensively solve the traffic problem on that axis.

 

Adding that, Lagos is one of the world’s most crowded cities, he said that Lagos is home to 40% of Nigeria’s automobile registrations. Every day, commuters spend at least three hours stuck in traffic. Lagos citizens face numerous issues because of traffic congestion.

 

An Urban Planner, Soji Wilson could not agree less. The quantity of cars wanting to utilise Lagos roads far exceed the capacity of the traffic network to manage them, resulting in traffic congestion. Similarly, traffic congestion occurs when traffic moves faster than the roadway’s planned capacity. But we are confident that Julius Berger is helping to solve the problem, he said.

The Project Manager, Dymitry Denysenko retorted last weekend that, official records indicate that Lagos is Nigeria’s smallest state, covering 3,577 square kilometres, roughly half the size of Abuja. Despite this, it has the greatest urban population in Nigeria, with 24.5 million people. When these two factors are combined, it is easy to see why traffic in Lagos easily becomes tasking; and for which Julius Berger is delivering lasting solutions.