Erosion Cuts Off Enugu-Onitsha Expressway

A gully erosion measuring about 15 feet deep has cut off the Ugwu Onyeama end of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.

 The development resulted to the closure of lane going into  Enugu on Wednesday, thereby subjecting motorists to untold hardship as they struggled with  the only available lane.

The snail speed pace of rehaiblitaiton work on the road has created additional gridlock as it has fuelled hold-ups daily.

As at the time of filing this report, some workers of the Consolidated Construction Company (CCC) were seen working at the bad spot.

One of the workers who spoke on condition of anonymity, told newsmen on Friday that the gully erosion developed due to the wrong channelling of flood into the Ugwu Onyeama valley.

The source, however, said the problem would be resolved in no distant time.

Meanwhile, some motorists who spoke to our correspondent have decried the slow pace of work by the contractor.

One of them, Mr Chibuzo Ngwu, a trader at the Ogebete Main Market, said the frustration on the road was better imagined.

“It is really unfortunate that Nigerians are subjected to this level of difficulties in the name of road construction”.

“For about a year now, CCC has been on this Enugu-Onitsha Expressway without any completion date in sight. They have not been able to lay the asphalt on up to two kilometres of the road”.

“Many accidents have occurred as a result of the slow pace of work and many lives lost in the process too. Why did Federal Government not award the job to serious-minded company?

“As I talk to you, CCC has yet to complete the Onitsha-Owerri road it started about 10 years ago,” Ngwu said.

Another respondent, Luke Mgbo, said CCC had no reason to delay work since they had received reasonable financial commitment from the Federal Government.

Meanwhile, the Enugu State House of Assembly recently expressed its dismay over the slow pace of work on the road and called for urgent intervention by the Federal Ministry of Work.