Lekki Expressway
The news that they are finally going to improve the Lekki Expressway is excellent news for the Westwards development of the city. But the planners are missing a trick: there is space in between the carriageways for a light railway/tram system. This would run alongside the cars as in various European cities and carry a lot of traffic off of the road. It would be easy to implement and relatively cheap. Lagos State are you listening?
Posts
6 comments:
That's an excellent idea, you need to head up an NGO and get some of these concepts out there. I'm surprised that it hasn't been considered in the past...well i'm not really surprised..we are after all talking about Lagos!
finally! Last time I was home, getting home from VI was horrid. The roads were always flooded and its attendant traffic jam was pure torture.
Tinubu says he has been in talks with some Chinese companies to build light rails in Lagos. I hope this isn't one of his many lies.
Lagos State are you listening?
No, we are not
The idea of a light railway system on the central reservation of the Lekki expressway is definitely an interesting one but the more I think about it the more complicated it seems. Firstly, in addition to expanding the actual expressway, the reservation itself would have to be expanded to allow for a 2-way rail system. Not easy given the space constraints. Also, the roundabouts that exist at various points on the Expressway would present a very challenging obstacle to the planners of the light rail system, and perhaps most noticeably, at the moment a sizeable proportion of traffic uses the central reservation for U turns to reach their destination (getting to VGC or Ajah from VI for example). Level crossings would be required and level crossings and illiterate (or more aptly risk taking) Nigerians are a dangerous mix.
Obviously these aren't supposed to be reasons why the whole thing should not even be considered but I believe they will present major obstacles to any such grand scheme. A much simpler idea would be the widening of the expressway to a more reasonable three lane configuration on either side (at the moment its basically 1 and a half) and that bridge that we keep on hearing about to be built between Lekki and Lagos Island proper (if not the mainland) that completely by passes VI). This development is already 20 years behind. As far as Lagos traffic is concerned though, I think there’s a more pressing concern for a light rail system between the Island and the mainland.
Wow! bro, that makes a lot of sense, cos if the government could embark on such a good idea, it will ease the traffic a lil bit I'd say, but getting the mission done is like passing the proverbial camel through the eye of the needle!!
when you're brainstorming or trying to imagine something, the future etc. the first thing is not to start with 'it will be a good idea, but this is impossible'. We should just allow ourselves to see how far we can go in thinking and imagining what a different lagos or nigeria might be, without coming up with the challenges. We already know the challenges and the obstacles. what we don't know is what is possible. Jeremy's entry is an invitation to imagine what could be - unhindered.
Post a Comment