… Okays N18.874bn for 3rd Mainland bridge
…Sets up inspection committee to review East-West road project
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, after almost eight hours of deliberations, approved an additional N80 billion for the rehabilitation of 84 kilometers section two of Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, disclosed this to State House Correspondents at the end of the meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He explained that the upward review is to cater for changes that were not captured during the project’s conceptualization.
He also disclosed that FEC approved N18.87 billion for rehabilitation and repair of the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State.
The contract for the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos, was awarded to Borini Prono, one of the original bridge builders and is expected to be completed in 27 months.
Fashola said the contract will involve critical repair works on all the 177 piles holding up the bridge, as well as general Expansion Joints Replacement for the several expansion belts spanning the bridge.
It will also include about 43 inches of reconstruction from earth base, toll plazas and service lanes, needed to accommodate new realities and structures that have since sprung along the road.
Fashola explained that the project is part of national bridge maintenance strategy being implemented by the Federal Government, although this particular one had been planned since 2011 but not budgetary allocation until 2017.
Fashola said, Council also approved the construction of four other roads, including the 9th Mile-Orokam Highway across Enugu and Benue States at a cost of N38.04 billion.
The 72 km road is to be handled by civil engineers RCC Limited.
The construction of Illie bridge in Osun State was awarded at a cost of N2.54 billion. It was initially awarded in 2011 and revised in 2012.
Another contract to complete Sagamu-Ibadan Section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was approved and it will cost an additional N80.19 billion to the initial N96.3 billion, bringing the total cost to N176.5 billion.
The Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, said that FEC constituted a committee to take inspection trip to the East-West road towards completing the project.
The committee comprises Ministers of Transportation, Information, Works, and Niger Delta. (Sun)
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