Lagos unveils toll free Lekki alternative route

Add caption

Regardless of the initial hitches, the Lagos State Government last week unveiled a toll free alternative road for motorists plying the newly upgraded Eti Osa-Lekki-Epe Expressway.

The 3.6 kilometres road is to provide opportunity to those who choose to avoid newly completed toll plaza.

Accessing the road, commuters coming from Lagos Island-Victoria Island en-route Lekki-Epe, who wish to bye pass the plaza would make a detour at Chevron Drive Roundabout, passing through Poroku Village and exiting through the back of Oluwa Ni Sola Estate.

The infrastructure is accompanied with drainage facilities, streetlight, sidewalk and 24-hour police patrol to ensure adequate security.

Briefing Journalists during the project tour last week, Special Adviser on the Public Private Partnership (PPP), Mr. Ayo Gbeleyi said the road was designed as an alternative for those who might not want to use the plaza and that it was part of the on-going reconstruction of the main expressway.

Gbeleyi, who was conducted around the 3.6-kilometre road by the Managing Director of Metropolitan Construction Company, Mr. Carlos Franji and an Executive Director, Mr. Tony Fagbuaro, said that the alternative road is part of the original design of the 49. 36-kilometre highway.

According to him, the alternative road, which he said, did not exist before was constructed to have a 90 degree angle and there was no road alignment along the route, noting that the angle would aid easy maneuvering of vehicles on the road.

“We have constructed drainage and walkways, streetlights to aid visibility at night and suit the required standard of the state government.

The road is design to serve the residents for at least 30 years. It is a very good road constructed with the intention of giving residents of the state easy movement in and around the axis, especially for those who are not willing to patronize the toll plaza. So, the route was not just constructed for motorists who may not want to pass through the toll plaza at all. It will serve as a bypass because it will serve all the adjoining communities and their residents along the Lekki-Epe corridor,” Carlos explained.

However, investigation by The Guardian revealed the possibility of upsurge in real estate development along the corridor.

For example, the once swampy corridor is now witnessing a couple of physical development. Sand filling activities are ongoing, while signs of housing estates development are manifesting.

A developer in the vicinity who spoke with The Guardian hinted that prior to the construction of the alternative route, a plot of land was between N6-N8 million, “but now, it has appreciated to between N18-20 million per plot”.

Besides, there are other factors that will boost real estate business within the corridor.

“For instance, the quality of the road project, coupled with the presence of few housing estate in the vicinity that include Charlton Gate, Beivister, Royal Garden, Victoria Garden City (VGC), the presence of multi-national corporations, among others, are some of identified factors”, said a source.

It was also observed that some residents of the communities along the Lekki-Epe corridor seem to be satisfied with the provision.

For instance, Mr. Adeola Ogunjimi, a landlord along the corridor, while extolling the infrastructure, described the route as a good development.

According to Ogunjimi, the route has opened up the communities along the corridor. “It has truly brought back life to the communities, all of which are not accessible before the route was constructed”, he said, adding that not every motorist along the main highway could afford to pay the toll fee.

During the inspection of the route that starts from Chevron Drive and ends at Oluwanisola Estate, the special adviser simply said the road “is not just an alternative route for motorists who are not willing to pay toll at Conservation Plaza, but the route creates a choice for the motorists who do not want to let go toll that will be charged at the plaza”.

But Gbeleyi assured both motorists and residents along the Lekki-Epe corridor that the state government would not force toll payment on them, a reason he linked to the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s commitment to completing the alternative road before toll collection commences. He added that the state government had done what it is supposed to do. So, tolling begins from December 16.”

He allayed people’s fear with respect to safety and security of lives and properties. He said basic facilities have been factored into the project right from its conception.

Aside from facilities designed with the road, the special adviser noted that the state government would deploy both security and traffic operatives “to constantly patrol the road in order to ensure that motorist do not encounter any difficulty while driving because the road is sited in an area with good vegetation area”. “

He assured that by next Sunday, every construction work on the road would have been completed, noting that at that time, the road will no longer be lonely, as motorist would ply the road constantly.