Lagos to Reconstruct Ikoyi Intersections In Six Months

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to reconstruct two major intersections around the Ikoyi axis, with the projects expected to be completed within six months in a move aimed at easing persistent traffic bottlenecks and improving movement within the high-density residential and business corridor.

The two projects, located at Parkview and Banana Island, are expected to commence shortly, with the state government saying it is working with residents, contractors, traffic managers, utility providers and other stakeholders to ensure that the construction does not bring movement in the area to a standstill.

The State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement on the projects, stressing that the government was determined to deliver the interventions within the six-month timeline and, if possible, ahead of the scheduled duration.

According to him, the two intersections constitute the immediate priority of the government in its effort to address traffic challenges around the Ikoyi consortium. “The core primary focus right now is two major intersection projects. One is at Parkview, and the other is at Banana Island,” Osiyemi said.

He explained that while the government and relevant parties had reached an understanding on the structure and execution of the projects, some administrative procedures still needed to be concluded before physical construction could begin.

“The duration of the project is six months, but I want to state that we should be able to complete it on or before the set six months. I believe that execution will continue non-stop for six months,” the commissioner said.

Osiyemi acknowledged that carrying out major road construction in such a busy environment could affect residents, businesses and commuters. He, however, said the work schedule had been deliberately designed to reduce the impact on daily activities.

He said construction would be adjusted according to traffic patterns, with workers expected to slow down during peak periods and intensify activities when traffic volumes are lower.

He said, “The work programme is structured in a way that we are going to work in such a way that we avoid disruption to the way the main people do business. During the peak period, we slow down the work, but not stop work altogether. During off-peak periods, we pick up the work because it is important to also do this. It is a matter of public interest, so we have to balance it.”

The commissioner said the government considered the project urgent and wanted work to commence immediately, although he clarified that “immediately” did not necessarily mean that construction equipment would move onto the site the same day.

He explained that certain administrative and technical matters had to be resolved first to prevent the construction itself from creating new problems. “Seeing one or two administrative issues that need to be cleared, to ensure that, in trying to solve a problem, you don’t create another problem,” he stated.

Speaking on another consideration, Osiyemi said, was the network of underground infrastructure around the project areas. He noted that the construction corridors contained fibre-optic cables, water infrastructure and electricity installations, making it necessary for the government and its contractors to proceed carefully.

“We have a lot of fibre underground, we have Water Corporation, we have all sorts, we have electricity. So, it is important to do these things responsibly and professionally, so that we don’t interrupt people’s lives,” he said.

He assured residents that once the outstanding issues were resolved, the contractor would move to site for the physical construction. “But I can assure you that between now and December, we should see it,” he added.

The government is working with Julius Berger, the contractor handling the projects, alongside traffic managers, project monitors and other relevant agencies. According to Osiyemi, telecommunications and other critical stakeholders, including MTN and NIPSS, are also being engaged to ensure that construction is properly coordinated.

He said the agencies involved had been working together and holding consultations with stakeholders in the affected communities to achieve a seamless execution.

Speaking with residents, Chairman of the Parkview Residents Association, Mrs Ronke Sokefun, said the planned reconstruction was seen as a long-awaited response to a problem that had become part of everyday life in the area.

Sokefun, former Chairman of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, added that residents were excited about the project, particularly because of the difficulties caused by the existing 90-degree turn at the estate’s entrance and exit.

She added that the sharp turn had repeatedly contributed to bottlenecks, making movement in and out of the estate unnecessarily difficult. “We have always had concerns about the 90-degree turn, both in terms of entrance into the estate and exiting the estate. It does cause bottlenecks, you know, more often than not,” Sokefun maintained.

She said the residents’ association had already begun keeping its members informed about the project.

Also, speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the event, Chairman of the Banana Island Association, Abidemi Shuneyin, said the project was driven by concerns over persistent traffic congestion around Banana Island, Parkview, Gerrard and Banana Road.

He said residents had engaged the Lagos State Government, particularly the commissioner, for about nine months to a year, expressing appreciation to the government for responding to their concerns and supporting measures aimed at easing movement within the Ikoyi axis.

In his words, “This whole journey started about a year ago when we noticed continuous traffic around Banana Island, Parkview, Gerrard, and Banana Road. So, we contacted the commissioner, and we have been engaging with him for the last nine months to one year. And we are very grateful today that the government of Lagos State can move to support residents around the Ikoyi consortium to make this possible.

“We are very grateful to the governor, His Excellency Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for making this happen because, you know, for them to put this in the budget is a whole lot. And I’m very grateful that they can come to our aid to make life easier for our residents.”