The Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat,on Wednesday said that the 13.5km Mile 12-Ikorodu Road project would be completed before February.
Hamzat gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.
NAN reports that the road project began in August 2012 as the state government took over the road from the Federal Government, which constructed it more than 50 years ago.
The Lagos State Government redesigned the road into six lanes with the addition of two Bus Rapid Transit corridors.
Hamzat said that street markings and other road furniture were remaining in the road project.
He added that pedestrian bridges on the road would be completed soon.
He said: “The project is going on according to the plan.
“We just need to finish the pedestrian bridges.
“Hopefully, we should be able to finish before February.”
Other new features on the road include 15 BRT stations and three BRT terminuses to be located at Mile 12, Agric and Ikorodu.
There are also nine new bridges, seven pedestrian bridges to access BRT stations, nine pedestrian crossing points, 12 new U-turns, lane markings and streetlights.
Some residents of Ikorodu commended Govenor Babatunde Fashola for the progress recorded on the road project, saying that it had eased traffic and opened up the area to many communities.
In interviews with NAN, they said that the project had led to appreciation of property in Ikorodu and improved businesses.
Lillian Babatunde said that property had appreciated in the axis as a result of the road project.
Babatunde said: “I was living at Ejigbo and when my landlord was giving me a problem, I decided to relocate to my own building at Gberigbe.
“I bought the land (a plot) for N75,000, but now they are selling one plot for about N1 million.”
Also, a tree feller, Isiaku Abubakar, said that more people were building houses in the axis due to the road reconstruction.
According to Abubakar, this has improved the business of tree felling.
He said: “Since the commencement of this road project, we now charge between N100,000 and N200,000 on one plot depending on the number and size of trees on the plot.
“In the past, we collected N1,000 for felling a kola nut tree, but now we cannot take less than N10,000.
“We may charge less in remote areas.
“We thank Fashola and want other state governors to emulate him in building roads.”
Esther Adekunle, a civil servant, told NAN that the road had made movement easier for many workers living in Ikorodu and working in other parts of Lagos.
Adekunle said: “I am afraid of travelling by water, but I have to use the ferry against my wish before they began reconstruction of this road.
“I can now move from Agric to CMS within two hours, which could take up to five hours before.”
Olasunkanmi Tijani, a freight forwarder, said that the road project had encouraged him to return to his abandoned building projects.
Tijani said: “Going to Ikorodu in the past could be a nightmare because of traffic, but this has changed for better.
“I bought an acre of land here about 10 years ago, which I abandoned, but now, I am trying to complete my houses and sell some of the plots.
“You will not believe that the price I am selling a plot is more than the amount I bought an acre of land.”
A driver working with a bank, Innocent Oke, however said: “I like the construction.
“It is helping us, but there are too many bends, turns and diversions which can cause accidents, if not properly monitored.”