FG Assures On PH/Enugu Expressway

The Minister of
State for Works, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda, said last Saturday that the Port
Harcourt/Enugu Expressway would be fully rehabilitated before the Christmas and
New Year festivities.

He gave the assurance when he inspected
ongoing repairs at the Abia-end of the road.

“From the last inspection I did about a
month ago to the present stage, there is an improvement and what we are trying
to do is to ensure that we make that road motorable before the Christmas and
New Year.

“Government target is to ease traffic
congestion and arrest the bad state of the Port Harcourt/Enugu Expressway,’’ he
said.

Yuguda said the road was divided into
four sections to be handled by contractors and Federal Road Maintenance Agency
(FERMA) engineers.

He said under the present arrangement,
FERMA and the contractors handling the projects would be expected to do stone
base, final asphalt coating and other jobs where necessary.

The minister said that final
rehabilitation work on the road, which he described as one of the top most
priority of President Goodluck Jonathan, would commence in 2013.

Yuguda attributed the problem of the
Port Harcourt road to neglect after more than 30 years of its construction.

“The final rehabilitation of this road
is definitely the top most priority of Mr President. He is fully aware of the
challenges faced by motorists on this road.

“We are working to make sure we deliver
on the infrastructural need of this country, but this is a road that is over 30
years old and successive governments did little to address it.

“Port Harcourt/Enugu road is a very
important road for government. It is a key road for the Nigerian economy and Mr
President is really determined to rehabilitate the road.’’

He said that adequate funds had been
given to contractors, adding: “All that we require is the cooperation of
Nigerians especially motorists and residents of communities along the road.

“At the Umunneochi Cattle Market, we noticed that the people now dump
refuge on the road after off-loading their cattle; we told them that such act
would further endanger the state of the road,’’ he said.