Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
The Edo State Government has allayed fears of the citizens of the state that all ongoing projects in the state would be completed before the end of this administration.
The state Commissioner for Roads and Bridges, Engineer Ethan Uzamere, disclosed this in Benin during a media tour to sites of some of the ongoing road projects in the state.
The commissioner who expressed satisfaction at work done so far at the different sites, said the works are up to specification and design, adding that all will be completed October this year
The commissioner, while at Ekewan Road construction site, said the construction which started at the Siluko Road Junction near Ring Road axis, would terminate at Army Barracks, adding that after that, phase 2 of the construction will take the road to Gelegele.
He said: “The Ekewan Road construction which starts at Mobil by Siluko Road Junction, would be taken to Army Barracks, and it will be completed by October. We are going to take the Road to Gelegele but the first phase which is ongoing will terminate at Ekewan Arny Barracks.
“For now, we will do some palliative work to Gelegele because we have another project which is close to Gelegele. The palliative work is going to be thorough. After the palliative work, the road will be motorable.”
At the construction site at 19 Street, Engr. Uzamere, while describing the road as strategic, said a thorough erosion control work has started to make sure the erosion-ravaged road and its adjoining streets are free from erosion so that people living in the area can easily move even in rainy season.
“The 19 Street project is a very strategic project. There have been a lot of design changes even to adjoining streets, this is just to ensure at the end we have a good job done on the road and adjoining streets. What we can guarantee on this erosion-ravaged area is that, during the rainy season, it will be very passable after the road is completed.
We can all see the massive work going on here… As you can see we have done a lot of underground drainage just to control the erosion. I think it is a very big milestone,” he added.
The commissioner said as the dry season is still on, the state government has mobilized all contractors back to sites so that the projects are completed before the rainy season comes in.
Also speaking at the Ekewan Road construction site, Engr. Patrick Ehizojio, Consultant to the state Ministry for Roads and Bridges, said one of the factors that have been hindering work at the Ekewan Road is the rain, assuring that as the rain has gone the road will be completed soon.
Ongoing road projects visited by the commissioner include: 16.1km Ekewan Road project; 1.15km Agbonkina Street linking Upper Ekewan Road to Evbuotubu Road near Slope area; 1.75km Old Siluko Road linking Owa to Useh; 2.5km Mechanic Road and 19 Street and its adjoining streets in Ugbuwo axis where an underground drainage channeling the erosion in the area to the Benin Water Storms is ongoing.
Other road project sites visited by the commissioner are: ongoing Teboga Road which links Upper Mission to Ikpoba Slope; ongoing construction work at Uwelu Road; Adesuwa in New Benin; Osamudiamen Street; Osazuwa Street; Okundia Road; Omo-ojide Street in GRA and Omomo Street at Stadium Road all in Benin.