LAGOS – The Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) on Thursday attributed the formation of a valley at the Pallet-Ilasamaja bus stop axis of the Apapa-Oshodi-Oworonshoki Expressway to flooding.
Mr Kehinde Afolabi, the FERMA engineer in charge of Lagos West, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the agency had continued to carry out routine maintenance on the portion to reduce road users’ frustrations.
Afolabi, who said that the development of new settlements was putting pressure on the road harped on the need to redesign the road in order to address the problem permanently.
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“So far in the last six months we have failures on that section as a result of the lowest point, it is a valley and congestion of water through the culvert on the lined drains.
“FERMA has been carrying out palliatives on daily basis, doing desilting of the drainage and the culverts and also we have been applying boulders and stone base during the rainy season till now when the downpour has ceased.
“We have been expecting response from headquarters to seal up the place finally.
“Meanwhile, there is rehabilitation work by Federal Ministry of Works; they may still get to that section to do general reconstruction of the section where they can redesign the culvert and discharge the water to the canal.
“Meanwhile, FERMA is still on ground carrying out placement of boulders and stone base material for easy accessibility.
“The general problem there has been a compounded problem because of the development over the years on the rights of way that is meant to discharge the water into.
“The water is now flowing back to the road; that means there is need for reconstruction of the drain. FERMA has been carrying out palliatives.“
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A NAN correspondent who inspected the road reports that craters have formed on various portions of the expressway between Pallet to Iyana Itire Bus stop areas causing traffic congestion. (NAN)