Months after the road caused frequent traffic jams and near-misses for trucks transporting aviation fuel to the airport, the Lagos State government and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) have finally fixed the link road from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) annex to the Legend Hotel near Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).
When our correspondent reached the area that had failed, he observed workers and their equipment repairing the road to restore access.
As the Authority intensifies work on several of its operating highways within the airport area, Olubunmi Kuku, managing director and chief executive of FAAN, has asked the public, particularly those who utilize the roads surrounding Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, to be patient.
Kuku made this statement during an inspection of the airport’s Service Road, which is now under construction between Gate 13 and the Toll Gate Plaza.
Although she was pleased with the caliber and speed of the work, she requested that drivers provide the necessary cooperation so that the 2.4-kilometer road could be built correctly and on schedule. Additionally, she expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government for consenting to work with FAAN on the project.
“I am happy that we have begun this road, even though it should have been finished years ago. To finish it on schedule and to the required standards, we need the full cooperation of all road users and members of the airport community,” she noted. ”I also want to express my gratitude to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who has partnered with us to guarantee that this project is completed as quickly as possible.”
“This cooperation is an illustration of the kind of fruitful collaborations that FAAN is willing to support in order to provide our passengers with the most enjoyable experience possible.”
“I’d also like to thank the Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, for his leadership and direction. His dedication and eye for detail have kept us on our toes, and we are grateful that he continues to oversee our work.”
Complete road rehabilitation, sidewalks, lamps and drainage on both sides are all included in the project work. It is anticipated that the full project will be completed in nine months.
Travellers had to spend an average of 15 to 25 minutes navigating the route to reach the parking lot at the Lagos International Airport due to the deteriorated road located within the airport grounds.
Jet A1 Fuel trucks had broken down on the airside at MMIA due to the poor road, and frequently the calibration metering was out, so truck drivers had to wait for re-calibration before fuelling could start, which caused flight delays.
Truck Drivers Voice Their Worries
Due to the extremely combustible cargo of aviation gasoline, truck drivers had voiced concerns that the road would turn into an accident waiting to happen.
A commercial driver who travels the route, Musa Yahaya, told BusinessDay Sunday that if the road is not fixed quickly, there might be an accident involving aviation fuel trucks that will kill passengers and airport workers.
“It’s rather embarrassing that an international airport’s internal connecting road is this terrible. The large “ogas” are aware of this but have said nothing about it. It’s really sad,” Yahaya told reporters.
Another commercial driver, Chuka Uzor, told BusinessDay that the road became problematic for drivers since some drivers were forced to park their vehicles, which cost them their daily income, because they could not afford to fix the damage the road did to their vehicles.
An aviation agency employee who wishes to remain anonymous told reporters that FAAN and NCAA staff cars frequently broke down on the road, which has turned into a global disgrace.
“Our shock absorbers and ball joints are also deteriorating. It’s turned into a nightmare for us. The government must come to our rescue,” the staff stated.
