TRAFFIC CRISIS: FCT Minister assures that solution is near

*Explores alternative routes to ease congestion
By Oscarline Onwuemenyi
The FCT Administration is working towards meeting the target of freeing all the entrance and exit roads into the Federal Capital City from traffic bottlenecks which has resulted in the loss of human lives and waste of valuable man hour during the working days.
The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed gave this assurance in Abuja after reviewing all the measures put on ground by the government to reverse the trend, thereby reducing the hardship often experienced by Nigerians and foreigners’ alike dwelling in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Minister emphasised that President Goodluck Jonathan and by extension, the FCT administration has a covenant with Nigerian people and assured that his administration will not rest on its oars until all these encumbered roads are extricated.



Senator Mohammed revealed that apart from the efforts being made by the FCT Administration to provide alternative routes to motoring public plying the Karu/Nyanya axis road, it has also re-doubled its endeavour to deliver the Murtala Muhammed Expressway (Kubwa Road) as well as the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Expressway (Airport Road) within a record of time.



He disclosed that the rehabilitation and expansion of Airport Expressway Lot I and Lot II are 43 percent and 70 percent complete respectively.



The Minister also revealed that the rehabilitation and expansion of Kubwa Expressway Lot I and Lot II are 53 percent and 58 percent complete respectively.





Traffic Gridlock in Abuja


Senator Mohammed further disclosed that the on-going work on roads B6, B12 and Circle Road in the Central Business District, Abuja is 45 percent complete.
In order to ensure safety and free flow of traffic within the Federal Capital City, he remarked that his administration is already working on the design, construction and delivery of traffic light signal at 20 graded intersections in the Abuja metropolis.
Meanwhile, in a bid to address the chaotic traffic situation along the Abuja-Keffi Road, the FCT Minister, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has given the contractor handling the Apo-Karshi road 90 days to make it motorable.
He explained that the FCT administration awarded contract for the 14-kilometre Karshi –Apo, valued at over N2.26 billion, to serve as alternative to the ever congested Nyanya/Karu road.
Mohammed stressed that the new roads were very important in order to ease the congestion on the Maraba-Nyaya-Karu corridor.
Apparently referring to last Monday’s accident wherein more than 25 people lost their lives, the Minister stated that, “We are here to emphasise the importance of this road to the well-being of the people of the FCT. People are dying on the other corridors due to massive traffic congestion and the recklessness of some drivers.
“We cannot keep living like this, more so as efforts to create byways and expand the other corridors is still ongoing. I shall be happy if this new road can be completed before December to allow its use by commuters who are presently suffering on the other corridor.
“We are carrying people along, and we are not taking anything or anyone for granted. We are providing roads now, by next year all the basic infrastructure including power, water, hospitals and telecommunications would be installed so that people can move in and occupy the houses.”
The Minister who was accompanied by the FCT Permanent Secretary and other top officials of his administration instructed that the contractor mobilise all his resources to ensure speedy completion of culverts and the necessary earth work within three months to enable motorists ply the road.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/08/traffic-crisis-fct-minister-assures-that-solution-is-near/