Dilapidated Aba-Oyigbo expressway ready in 4 weeks
From Boniface Okoro, Umuahia
Commuters plying from Aba-Port Harcourt expressway would soon heave a sigh of relief as the Abia State government has said it has perfected arrangements to carry out palliative work on the road.
The Aba-Oyigbo axis of the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt expressway has been a death trap for about a decade. At a point, articulated vehicle drivers blocked the road for about a week in protest of deaths and loss of goods worth billions of naira caused by the deplorable state of the road.
But Abia State governor, Dr. Alex Otti, appeared to have extracted a commitment from the federal government through the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, when he visited Abia recently on a working visit, for the state to do remedial works on the dilapidated federal road.
Commissioner for Information and Culture who disclosed government’s intention to embark on palliative work on the road, on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, while briefing journalists, said the work may have been done in the next one month.
“The first and foremost thing to report is that the state continues its work in road infrastructure. Work continues at pace in different parts of the state. Of a particular interest is the Port Harcourt – Aba express road that has been in a very deplorable state and has hampered movement on that part of this state. I want to announce to us that within the next four weeks, serious palliative work could have been done on one part of that road, from Obigbo (Oyigbo) to Aba, so that motorists can use one side of the lane to travel between Port Harcourt and Aba.
“Recall that not too long ago, the current Minister of Works was in the state to meet with our state governor, His Excellency, Dr, Alex Otti, OFR. And I did tell you then that some promises were made. What the state government has done now is to bring such promises to fruition,” Kanu said.
On Aba where work was in progress on some roads while others have been completed, the Commissioner said: “Amongst the roads being constructed in Aba, Jubilee Road is ready and would soon be commissioned, alongside the other roads. Recall that I mentioned that Umuimo road, Old Express and Udeagbala roads have been completed, the floodlights are being installed, that’s the reason we wouldn’t commission them now. In no distant time, they are going to be set for commissioning.”
“In Umuahia,” he said, “remedial works were ongoing on many roads in the state capital. Those of us who pass through Ubakala road, areas around the State Secretariat will agree with me that some serious palliative works have been carried out in Umuahia. We did promise that this is to make motoring experience in Umuahia to be smooth for residents.”
He also announced that remedial works were ongoing on Umuahia-Uzuakoli road, while palliative works would commence on the deplorable Umuahia-Ohafia in the next three weeks.
