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Thursday, April 16, 2009
Govt okays N89.5 billion for Lagos-Ibadan highway upgrade
From Madu Onuorah, Abuja
THE Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the reconstruction, expansion and modernisation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at a total cost of N89.5 billion.
The project, to be executed under the Develop, Build, Operate and Transfer (DBOT) was awarded to BI-COURTNEY Consortium for a concession period of 25 years.
The consortium handled the transaction and the construction of the $250 million Murtala Muhammed International Airport Terminal 2 under the Build, Operate, Transfer (BOT) deal.
Until his appointment as the Presidential Honorary Adviser on Legal Matters, Dr. Wale Babalakin (SAN) was the chairman of the Bi-Courtney Consortium Limited.
The Council also approved the construction of a section of the East-West Expressway from Kaima to Ahoada. It was to Setraco Nig. Ltd for N44.88 billion with a completion period of 36 months.
The contract was earlier awarded to Julius Berger Plc in July 2006, but the company pulled out following consistent attacks and kidnapping of its personnel by militants.
Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, along with the Minister of Works, Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Hassan Lawal and Minister of State for Information and Communications, Alhaji Ikra Bilbis, told journalists at the end of the Council meeting that "after exhaustive debate and considerable input from the recently inaugurated Infrastructure Regulatory Concession Commission (ICRC), the Federal Executive Council has approved the reconstruction, expansion and modernisation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway which is estimated to cost about N89,533,688,879.84 with a concession period of 25 years.
"It will be executed under a DBOT scheme with 100 per cent funding by the concessionaire. The investor's cost and return on investment will be recovered via tolls subject to regulatory guidance from the Federal Government and other charges on road support services such as trailer parks and rest areas. To ensure the highway is in good condition throughout the concession period, routing and periodic maintenance will be carried out to a minimum level of service under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Works, Housing and Urban Development."
The project involves:
- The full reconstruction of the existing carriageways from Lagos to Ibadan;
- construction of two additional lanes to the two carriageways in each direction of travel between Lagos and Sagamu interchange/junction, making it four lanes in each direction of travel;
- provision or construction of one additional lane in each direction between Sagamu interchange/junction and Ibadan, making it three lanes each direction of travel; and
- vehicular parking areas for heavy duty vehicles;
- rest areas with eateries and conveniences;
- emergency communications equipment;
- clinics and emergency ambulances; and
Others are:
- electronic traffic control and enforcement measures;
- highway lighting between 7.00 p.m. and 6.00 a.m., through the installation of a gas-fired plant;
- overhead pedestrian bridges at designated locations;
- modern toll points with electronic tolling system;
- provision of dedicated AM radio station for travellers to tune in to monitor the traffic situation on the highway; and
- modern road signs and lane markings.
Akunyili stated that "the second segment of the East-West Road would be awarded next week when the Ministry of Niger Delta, Ministry of Works and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) would have concluded all the technical details demanded by FEC.
"The FEC also deferred till next week the debate on a number of major reform bills designed for the expansion and modernisation of some of our critical transport infrastructure like waterways, railways etc," she added.
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