Lagos State government is remodeling 60 identified traffic-prone roundabouts as part of efforts to address congestion and reduce travel time across the state.
The remodeling will start with four: Ikotun, Allen, Maryland, and 2nd Lekki roundabout, and gradually move to others across the state.
It will entail removal of the affected roundabouts and separate streams of traffic through Traffic Signal Lights (TSL). The work will synchronise all TSLs through intelligent traffic systems which would recognise the densities of traffic streams and give priorities accordingly.
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According to Frederic Oladeinde, commissioner for transportation, the move is basically to reduce gridlock and increase the capacity of the roundabouts to accommodate increasing vehicular traffic.
“We have since the early days of the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, committed ourselves to ensuring reduction in traffic congestion by resolving key gridlock points.
“We started off through discovery of 60 gridlock junctions and areas across the state. Seven pilot scheme were unlocked, we progressed in the traffic management measures to 27 locations and now we are working on four major junctions by removing the roundabouts presently causing chaos during turning-movements.
“The four identified roundabouts are Ikotun, 2nd Roundabout on Lekki-Epe Expressway, Allen Avenue Roundabout and Maryland,” said Oladeinde.
According to him, apart from the pedestrian activities and chaos during turning at the junctions, the roundabouts have insufficient capacities to cater for the traffic volume during peak hours.
The four roundabouts, according to the official, are billed to be delivered within four months.
Oladeinde told a crop of reporters that the project would also introduce stacking lanes for both left and right turns at the junctions, which will contribute to increasing the capacities of the roads at the junctions, thereby reducing travel time.
“On some corridors, we will upgrade alternative routes so that traffic can move upstream of choke points and separate pedestrian vehicular conflict by re-erecting the pedestrian barriers. We do not only discuss issues affecting the sector but also proffer solutions to them.
“The government will continue to curb abuse of all traffic laws and violation; reduce traffic congestion by resolving key gridlock points, and deploy technology to aid enforcement of traffic rules,” said the commissioner.
He further assured of provision of intelligent transport systems to optimise the transport network, and accelerate the implementation of the multimodal transport system to give people options.”
He called on motorists and other road users in the areas to be affected to take safety precautions and cooperate with traffic officials for free flow of traffic for the period the construction would last.
According to him, despite the construction, the government through the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) will deploy enough officers to ensure free flow of traffic.
A total of 15 gridlock-prone junctions have been identified in Lagos to require interventions and the government, according to Oladeinde, intends to take it four or five at a time so as not to turn the entire state into a construction site, with its attendant traffic consequences.
Oladeinde reiterated that Lekki toll would be completely cashless from January 1, 2020 with a view to removing problem of collecting balance by motorists, which had been responsible for gridlock around the toll points.
The commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso added that some of the roundabouts had outlived their usefulness, hence the determination and commitment of the Sanwo-Olu-led administration to remodel them.
“We are thinking everyday on how to resolve traffic gridlock and challenges in the state. We want motorists to obey traffic rules and be disciplined while driving,” said Omotoso.
The immediate past administration of Akinwunmi Ambode undertook a similar project in 2016 when it engaged Planet Projects Ltd, to remove some of the massive size roundabouts on the Lekki-Epe corridor. Among the ones removed by the Ambode-led government were planned the 4th roundabout (Elegushi); 5th roundabout (Jakande) and 8th roundabout (VGC) on the Lagos-Lekki Expressway.
