By John Alechenu, Abuja
The Federal Government has reclaimed the Benin-Asaba Road for reconstruction as a dual carriageway following a directive by President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said.
Umahi disclosed this in Asaba on Thursday during the reopening of the First Niger Bridge on the Asaba-Onitsha Road.
The development was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze.
Umahi said the concession arrangement that had prevented the Ministry of Works from directly undertaking the reconstruction of the Benin-Asaba Road had been discontinued, paving the way for the Federal Government to take responsibility for the project.
“What stopped the Ministry of Works from reconstructing Benin-Asaba Road, the concessioning of that route, has been unsealed. We now have our route back to the Ministry of Works,” he said.
According to the minister, Tinubu has directed a comprehensive redesign of the 136-kilometre road as a dual carriageway, with design work already underway ahead of construction.
“The legacy of President Bola Tinubu, you will see it ongoing on this road. Never again will our people suffer on this road,” Umahi said.
He said the return of the road to the ministry would enable the Federal Government to take direct responsibility for its reconstruction and address the difficulties faced by motorists travelling between the South-South and South-East.
First Niger Bridge receives major upgrades
On the First Niger Bridge, Umahi said the ministry intervened after a content creator raised the alarm over alleged vandalism involving the removal of bolts and cutting of iron components from the bridge’s steel structure.
He said an inspection revealed dangerous tampering that could compromise the bridge’s structural integrity.
Originally built in 1966 and commissioned by then Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the bridge had suffered years of inadequate maintenance, according to the minister.
Umahi said the bridge had now received treatment similar to that carried out on Lagos’ Third Mainland Bridge, including asphalt resurfacing, median demarcation, solar-powered lighting, CCTV cameras and observation centres at both ends.
He added that three turnaround passages had also been provided to facilitate emergency operations.
“Exactly the treatment we gave to the Third Mainland Bridge is the treatment we gave to this place,” he said.
The minister commended the contractor, SKCC, for its work but identified outstanding tasks, including repainting the entire steel structure, treating rust-affected areas beneath the deck and providing canopies.
He also warned against illegal sand dredging within 10 kilometres of bridges, directing directors of works in Delta and Anambra states to enforce the prohibition or face disciplinary action.
Tinubu orders East-West Road reconstruction
Umahi further disclosed that Tinubu had ordered the reconstruction of about 400 kilometres of the East-West Road as a spur of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He said design work on sections of the East-West Road was nearing completion, dismissing claims that work on the coastal highway had stopped.
“Some people thought that the East-West Road was a road in the South-East. East-West Road is entirely in the Niger Delta. The coastal road is the right of the Niger Delta people,” he said.
The minister also said reconstruction of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road had reached 90 per cent completion.
He added that work was ongoing on a 44-kilometre concrete pavement section in Port Harcourt, as well as a 107-kilometre dual carriageway project in Anambra State, where 33 kilometres had been completed.
Umahi cited the 17.5-kilometre Section 2B of the Second Niger Bridge bypass, valued at ₦172 billion, as another example of federal infrastructure investment in the region.
“These are projects that show the President’s commitment to the South-East. We cannot thank the President enough,” he said.
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