Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge: Amaechi Pushes For Completion Of Civil Work Before Rainy Season

Rotimi Amaechi, the Minister of Transportation, on Friday charged the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) to work hard in order to complete civil before the start of the raining season.

Amaechi, who gave the charge during an inspection tour of the project the railway project will activate new vista of opportunities in terms of job creation and economic activities.

“The most important update is that they should go back to site, there are places that they are doing civil works and we are pushing now that they must complete civil works before the rain starts. That should be the update. They have promised that before we come back on the 28 of March, they have gone far with the civil work. They promised that before the March 28, they should be able to get to Kilometre 95 with the track,” he said.

Amaechi, who was accompanied by Nigerian Railway Management, and other notable people in the transport sector, started inspection of ongoing works from railway yard, Ebutte Metta, Lagos to Ibadan, urging the CCECC workers to ensure closure of gaps between kilometre 75 to kilometre 95 for laying of track to commence.

The minister said the contractors promised that track laying would be done up to Kilometre 95 before the end of March, while formation will be complete up to Kilometre 120.

According to minister, once formation is complete up to  Kilometre 120, track laying can also be completed in the first week of April.

“What is important is that if they get up to Kilometre 120 with the formation, then we can be sure that first week in April, we should be able to get here with track laying. Kilometre 120 to Ibadan is merely 36 kilometres, and that will be great,” he added.

The minister expressed optimism that work will speed up as most of the Chinese working on the project are now back.

“They said because of the election most of them left the country and they are just returning back so the speed will increase as they have resumed”

Saturday Independent recalled that Minister of Transportation had organised a test run of the newly built rail track to mark the completion of the Lagos-Abeokuta arm, of the Nigerian Railway Modernisation Project, Lagos-Ibadan Section.