BusinessDay... the voice of business: Ride on Lagos-Badagry road to attract tolls

Ride on Lagos-Badagry road to attract tolls
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JOSHUA BASSEY on 08 May, 2008 02:00:00
 
A ride on the Lagos-Badagry road will longer be entirely free as   currently the
case after the road has been redeveloped and expanded into a ten carriageway.
Lagos State government which may bear the cost of the multi-billion naira
project plans to collect tolls on the road apparently to secure funds for its
all-year round maintenance. But this will not affect all categories of
motorists. Motorists plying the service lanes may be exempted from the toll
arrangement.
Lagos governor, Babatunde Fashola, who disclosed this in an interview with
BusinessDay, said the government intends to share the burden of expanding and
maintaining the international route with the citizens by way of tolling on the
main carriageway.
Fashola reafirmed that plans towards the expansion of the road is in course and
the state is discussing with the Federal Government on the project, which,
according to him, will further open up trade and business relationship with
countries within the West African sub-region, including Ghana, Republic of Benin
and Togo.
The project, he added will involve expansion of the road from the current four
lanes into ten with provision for light rails, which will stretch from Badagry
to Mile 2, as well as BRT from Okokomaiko  to Eric Moore.
The road expansion, Fashola explains is one of the major projects being
considered by his administration because it holds great economic potentials. 
The project when achieved will add value the ancient town of Badagry, where the
state government is also planning to take full advantage of its tourism
potentials to put Lagos in the map as one of the world's most attractive tourist
centres.
Business Day had reported that design on the proposed expansion of the
international road stretching from Eric Moore end of Iganmu industrial area to
the Nigerian border with Benin Republic will be ready July this year. Contract
for the design was awarded by Lagos State to Advanced Engineering Consultants.
It would be recalled that Fashola while on tour of Ojo Local Government Area
last year, hinted of plans to expand the road in collaboration with the Federal
Government, in order to ease off heavy traffic and further open up the
sub-region.