Alhaji Suleiman Zarma, the Minister of State, Power, Works and Housing, said that the Federal Government was committed to timely completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Zarma who stated this on Thursday in Lagos while inspecting the project, said that an additional 48 months had been added to the completion period of the project.
He explained that the original design of the project was reviewed to accommodate additional facilities because of the new settlements along the corridor.
He said: “New communities are being built along this axis and therefore they have to be factored in.”
The minister said that new businesses were also being envisaged on the axis, hence the need to upgrade and expand the scope of the design of the project.
He added that the Buhari administration had made consistent budgetary allocation for road infrastructure.
He said that the boost to the government’s commitment was the SUKUK Bond, which was distributed to road projects in all geo-political zones in the nation.
Zarma said: “If there is one things that the president has as a collateral, it is his integrity and I think every member of cabinet of this government is willing to make sure that the collateral of the president is upheld.
“So we make solid commitment that all contractors working for us would be paid as we go along.”
Adedamola Kuti, the Federal Controller, Works, Lagos, who gave a brief profile on the project, said that section one of the project was 56.9 per cent completed.
He said that section one of the project was awarded at a sum of N70.7 billion, but had been augmented to N134.8 billion.
He explained that the augmentation was to accommodate additional construction of pedestrian bridges and other facilities.
He said: “So far, on the original contract which we hope to substantially complete by this year, it is divided into three sections.
“The beginning of the project, Chanage zero-zero is in Lagos, and 43 + 600 is at Sagamu interchange, 32.00 to 43 + 600 about 11.6kms has been substantially completed on both bounds.
“In addition to that, we have also completed another six kilometres on the Sagamu bound lane.’’
He explained that work on the four kilometres popular Long Bridge had also been completed on both carriageways.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that section one of the project spans from Ojota in Lagos to Sagamu interchange, while section two begins from Sagamu interchange to Ibadan.