Ikoyi, V/I, Ikeja GRAs top list as Lagos set for urban renewal
By Highbrow areas of Ikoyi, Lekki, Victoria Island and the Ikeja GRA are top on the list as the Lagos State government unveils new construction equipment preparatory to urban regeneration programme.
The equipment, including three road printers and three giant wheel leaders, were unveiled after a public demonstration to the media and government functionaries on Joseph Hotounu Street, Lekki, where the government is currently completing interlocked road with the aid of some of the new construction equipment.
Other equipment also taken delivery of are five driving rollers, hand operating rollers, an excavator, paver, tractors, wheel loaders, chip sealer, milling machine, sweeper machine, synchronous chip sealer etc.
The equipment will aid the urban renewal programme which the state is starting off with Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Ikeja G.R.A and Lekki.
BusinessDay gathered that the road printer, for example, has the capacity to pave 400 to 600 metres square in a one-day working shift of eight hours.
“These new equipment have procured in line with efforts to reposition the Lagos State Public Works Corporation (LSWC) for the urban regeneration programme aimed at addressing environmental and infrastructural challenges in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Ikeja G.R.A,” said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on Wednesday.
According to Ambode, who was represented by Rotimi Ogunleye, his commissioner for physical planning and urban development, the equipment would immediately be deployed for the urban for the purpose they have been acquired and would aid the drive to change the Lagos landscape.
“These equipment would further upgrade the activities of the Lagos State Public Works Corporation so that from their three centres in Badagry, Ojodu and Imota, they can take care of the rest of Lagos State.
“This development is a sign that government is commitment to the regeneration and renewal of the Lagos landscape,” he said.
Tunji Bello, secretary to the state government observed that with the paving stone machines and road printers, the public works corporation would be in the position to deliver roads that last longer even waterlogged terrains.
“We carefully thought about it before we even embarked on it. It was planned long time ago for the equipment to be acquired and having been acquired, they will be deployed immediately for road construction.
“One of the problems we have in Lagos is road tarring because the water table in Lagos is very high and it does not allow most of our roads to last and so we needed equipment to make our roads longer and part of it was to acquire the equipment which have just been tested.
“So, now we will be using paving stones mostly and they will last longer particularly in a terrain like Lagos and that is what we have seen today,” said Bello.
JOSHUA BASSEY
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