President Bola Tinubu has inaugurated the newly reconstructed Apapa-Oworonshoki-Ojota-Oshodi Expressway, a 36.02km expressway connecting Nigeria’s premier ports – Apapa and Tin Can Island – to larger parts of Lagos State.
President Tinubu, who performed the symbolic unveiling of the plaque of the concrete-paved road at the Gbagada stretch, also virtually inaugurated the recently rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge.
Speaking on Sunday at the inauguration of the projects, executed by the Federal Ministry of Works, the President, represented by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, said the Apapa-Oworonshoki-Ojota Expressway would enhance access to the ports, boost commercial activities, and spur economic development.
Originally constructed between 1975 and 1978, the road had deteriorated significantly over the years, causing severe delays in the evacuation of goods from Apapa Wharf.
The reconstruction of the road was executed in four sections, using Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP), by Dangote Industries Limited under the tax credit method of infrastructure funding, with Hitech Construction Nigeria Limited as the subcontractor.
The rehabilitated Third Mainland Bridge, the longest of three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, spans about 11.8km.
It was commissioned by President Shehu Shagari in 1980 and completed by General Ibrahim Babangida in 1990.
The bridge recently underwent significant rehabilitation to improve its structural integrity and extend its lifespan.
EDITOR: TIENABESO BIBIYE
