On Wednesday, March 13th, the Edo State Commissioner for Roads and Bridges, Hon. Ethan Uzamere, with some top officials of the ministry, led a group of media executives on tour of some project sites in the state.
The projects spread across four local government areas of the state viz Oredo, Ikpoba Okha, Ovia North East and Egor includes Adesuwa Road in New Benin, Osamudiamen Road and Osazuwa Road.
Other sites visited included Okundia and Omo-Ojide Streets in GRA, Benin, Omomo Street by Stadium Road in Benin, Ekehuan Road, 19th Street and environs, Uwelu Road, Mechanic Road and Temboga.
Answering reporters enquiries at the end of the exercise, the Commissioner said: “When it comes to road construction a lot of work needs to happen during the dry season. So, this dry season we have done a lot of work to push our contractors to work even ahead of their programme of work and so far we are satisfied but we still have a few months left that we can still have this kind of touch.
“If you go around you will see that we have completed a few roads like Forestry Road, Eweka, Second Ugbor. There are other strategic roads that we have completed. Another thing that’s a big focus for us is that we should realise that one of the biggest issues we have in Edo State is the issue of erosion control. In the last few months within the lots of ways that we have done road constructions.
“We have also tried our best within the last few months as well to see how we can work with flood management agency to see how we can work on the flood erosion control issue in the state.
Q: When do we expect the completion of the projects?
“Ekehuan is going to be finished in October. The 19th Street Project is a very strategic project as you can see. I think over time a lot of designs, extra streets, adjoining streets will be added to it. What we can guarantee for this 19th Street is that during the rainy season it will be very passable. If you see now we did a lot of work on underground drainage which was almost a new design.
“I think it is a very big milestone and we want to reassure that this area will be very passable during the rainy season and after the rainy season when we have a lot of compartment we come back and put some stonebase and asphalt to be completed.
“Ekehuan Road will be completed to Ekehuan Barracks in October. We’re going to take it to Gelegele Port but the first phase now is going to be completed at the Ekehuan Barracks. We will do some palliative work to the Gelegele Port because we have another project which is the Ajoki – Ikpako Road Project that’s close to Gelegele.
“So, we would do some sort of palliative work to make sure the road is very motorable. The first phase which is Ekehuan Road from Ring Road to the Barracks will be completed fully and delivered in October.”
Q: The major complaints of the residents of that area(on Ekehuan Road) is that the road started well up to Ugbuyoko and the concrete divider suddenly disappeared from dual to single carriageway.
“That was the design because of the size of the road. From day one we carried the people along with the design of the road. So, the design is that from that place it comes to a single carriageway.”
Albert Abboud, the Project Manager of Levant Construction Company, while speaking about the level of work done, said: “We’re doing almost 24km of roads. We have already gone far with the project. We are currently working at 19th Street. We have done underground. We will soon start to do drain.
“We are also working at Powerline. Two weeks ago we completed the job at Eweka and hopefully by tomorrow we start work at Siluko to link from Adolor to Siluko. The challenge we have is the rain which starts soon. But everything is under control.”
