Engr. – Minister of Works By the end of November, David Umahi has requested that the Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers State be fully operational and ready for use.
Umahi gave the directive while conducting an inspection of federal road projects in the South-South and South-East regions, where he evaluated the level of work done by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc on the 37.9-kilometer Bodo-Bonny Road project.
According to President Bola Tinubu’s approval, the project, which began on October 20, 2017, had gone through several cost reviews, starting with 120 billion, moving up to 199 billion, and finally to N280 billion.
Bodo-Bonny, a 37.9 km project, is “exactly eight years old today.” The project officially began on October 20th, 2017. As of 2017, the contract’s initial value was 120 billion, which was later increased to 198 billion and now to 280 billion. Because of his commitment to the Niger Delta people, Umahi advised “go and give them what they want.”
He claimed that given the terrain and the standard of the work being done, the cost would be around $7.4 billion per kilometer.
The route through marshy lands is “a coastal route.” It would cost more than 15 billion per kilometer if we were to complete this project right away. The Minister stated that the work was of high caliber and that the project manager’s commitment was admirable.
By the end of November, Umahi ordered that all barricades be removed so that there can be some partial traffic flow while monitoring continues until the final asphalt surfacing is finished in the spring.
Every job here must be finished by December 15th, with the exception of the five kilometers of asphalt. Before final surfacing, monitor the road through December, January, and February and open it for traffic until the end of November. The President will then commission it, he said.
Additionally, the Minister disclosed plans to put solar-powered streetlights, CCTV cameras, and trees along the embankments, noting that the improvements would be funded by the project’s contingency funds without incurring any additional costs to the government.
“This road’s security is very important. If there are reasonable emergency costs, he said, “we’ll use them to plant trees, install solar lights, install CCTV, and also set up relief stations where cars can park and we can watch security.”
Tim Nippert, Julius Berger’s project manager, praised Umahi for his assurance that the project would be finished in time.
We appreciate your sincere words. You have presented us with a significant challenge, but we won’t have to put up with it. That’s our full commitment,” Nippert said, referring to the project as a new standard for Nigerian concrete road construction.
Ndom Ndifreke, the engineer’s representative, also confirmed that the work was going well and would be finished on time.
Umahi expressed satisfaction with Reynolds Construction Company’s (RCC) work at the East-West Road’s Eleme-Onne section, explaining that the project had been converted from asphalt to reinforced concrete pavement to accommodate heavy industrial traffic.
The petrochemical plant, port, and refinery are served by this is Nigeria’s most traveled road. He claimed that we redesigned the initial $ 156 billion asphalt design to make it stronger by using reinforced concrete.
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The Minister made it clear that the Aleto Bridge and one carriageway were about to be finished, with the remaining flyovers and bridges scheduled to arrive by April of next year.
He demanded truck parks to be constructed to stop heavy vehicles from causing damage to the new road and directed the installation of solar lights and CCTVs every 30-meter interval.
Umahi also urged people to take ownership of government projects in order to prevent misuse of public infrastructure.
We must protect the roads because the President is building ones that will last 100 years. People should stop dumping garbage on medians and parking trucks on bridges. Every citizen has a role, he remarked. Leadership is not just for those in office.
The Minister further assured contractors that all NNPC-sponsored road projects, including those in the Rivers, Bayelsa, and Delta States, would continue to be funded without delay.
“There won’t be any issues with funding.” We’ll give the President a strategic plan by the end of this week to ensure that NNPC projects continue to be funded. He claimed that none of these initiatives should be abandoned.
In response, RCC representatives thanked the Minister for his advice and promised to finish the Eleme section on time.
Source: Channels TV
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