Federal Govt Begins Emergency Repairs On Lagos–Otta–Abeokuta Road

The federal government has announced the commencement of palliative and rehabilitation works on sections of the Lagos–Otta–Abeokuta Road.

This followed an assessment which revealed engineering flaws and widespread deterioration on the corridor.

The minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, made the disclosure yesterday, during an inspection of federal highways linking Lagos and Ogun States.

He said the move aims to provide immediate relief to commuters while minimising daytime traffic disruptions on the 81-kilometre artery.

Speaking during the inspection of the road, the minister disclosed that although the entire corridor spans about 60 kilometres, work is being carried out in phases, targeting the most critical and failed sections rather than a continuous stretch.

According to him, the road was originally planned as a single section, but disagreements over alignment and design parameters led to its execution being segmented into multiple sections.

He noted that parts of the road had failed due to poor engineering judgment and substandard quality in previous works, saying directives have been issued for contractors to return to the site immediately, with corrective works scheduled to begin the following day.

“All areas that are not up to standard will be addressed,” the minister said, adding that many of the failed portions lie in low-lying areas that require the use of public access roads during repairs,’’ he said.

Our correspondent gathered that an initial stretch of approximately four kilometres has been identified as suitable for immediate work, while isolated sections will not be treated separately but will be integrated into the broader rehabilitation plan.

It was also gathered that the repair programme will proceed on two fronts, with the first phase involving urgent palliative works, largely to be carried out at night to minimise traffic disruption.

The second phase, which was conducted, focused on more durable interventions, including the use of concrete materials from the ongoing Tombella Bridge resurfacing project.

The phase will also involve resurfacing works, replacement of faulty expansion joints on bridges, and reinforcement of tunnel banks with high-strength materials.