Ado Bayero’s bridge with uncompleted side roads

The construction of Ado Bayero Bridge in Kano metropolis, Kano State, was approved in December 2012 by the Federal Executive Council under the former administration of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.  The scope of the work, Daily Trust gathered, comprised the construction of 120m long reinforced concrete (8 no spans of15m each) dual carriage flyover bridge at […]

The construction of Ado Bayero Bridge in Kano metropolis, Kano State, was approved in December 2012 by the Federal Executive Council under the former administration of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
 The scope of the work, Daily Trust gathered, comprised the construction of 120m long reinforced concrete (8 no spans of15m each) dual carriage flyover bridge at Kundila Roundabout by Zaria  Road.
It also involves construction of 200 meters and 165 meters length of ramps with reinforced concrete cantilever walls on both sides.
The contract was awarded at the cost of N2, 499,924,850.50 to Rocad Construction Limited and lobbied by Senator Muhammad Bashir, popularly known as Lado, who represented Kano Central Senatorial District from 2011-2015.
The bridge is strategically located at the intersection of two important highways in the state; Kano-Abuja and Kano-Maiduguri highways, thereby reducing traffic jam at the ever busy Kundila Roundabout.
 It was commissioned on March 22, 2015, by former president Goodluck Jonathan, who also named it after the late emir of Kano,Alhaji Ado Bayero.
However, five months after commissioning of the main bridge, the four side-bridge roads and the roundabout located under the bridge have not been constructed, thereby subjecting motorists and other road users to serious hardships.
Daily Trust reporter, who visited the area, observed that motorists coming from the Dangi Roundabout to Court Road through Zaria Road and those from Maiduguri Road to Dangi Roundabout through Zaria Road encounter difficulties before they could pass through the unmotorable roads.
 Also drivers from Zaria Road to Maiduguri Road and those from Court Road heading to Zaria Road do face similar difficulties due to the bad condition of the roads. While flood and potholes have taken over the side-bridge road leading to Dangi Roundabout via Zaria Road from Kundila Roundabout, drivers from Dangi Roundabout going to Court Road through Zaria Road also have to maneuver some potholes before they could exit such passes.
 Further observations revealed that only drivers plying the main overhead bridge are enjoying the good aspect of the project, while motorists driving through the side roads were left with no option than to endure the hardships.
Some drivers and tricycle riders, who spoke to Daily Trust, said they prefer taking the longer route to Dangi from Kundila Roundabout than to follow the bad but shorter way.
Habibu Isa Wudil said: “Although going to Dangi Roundabout through Zaria Road from Kundila Roundabout is shorter, but I prefer to go through Court Road to Zoo Road and then Dangi Roundabout because the roads are far better. One can damage his car if he insists on going through Zaria Road due to the bad condition of the road.”
 Wudil said recently a truck driver damaged his vehicle close to GTBank and it took him three weeks before he could fix it and leave the place, lamenting that many vehicles were trapped along that area.
Muhammad Yahaya is a commercial driver, who claimed to have been plying the road for the past 10 years. He said many commercial drivers have stopped plying the road due to its bad condition, calling on the government to come to their aid by completing the project.
“Commercial activities around the area have been crippled courtesy of bad condition of the roads. Even the commercial taxi drivers that used to pick and drop passengers adjacent to Conoil filling station have deserted the area, while tricycles riders relocated to the other side of the road because of the condition of the road.
 “People are no longer interested in plying the roads because of its bad shape. I know many drivers that prefer alternative route through Gyadi-Gyadi quarters to court road than to pass through the linkages roads at Ada Bayero Bridge.”
Ibrahim Haruna a tricycle rider also attested that many tricycle riders have abandoned the roads, saying that they now concentrate on linking Maiduguri Road to Hotoro through Tarauni Quarters from the Ado Bayero Bridge.
“Tricycle riders cannot endure the potholes to continue plying the roads. A road that vehicles cannot pass, a tricycle rider cannot even try it because he may either be jammed or damage his tricycle. So to be on the safe side, one has to go through the longer route.”
When contacted, the Public Relation of Officer of Rocad Construction Company, the firm that constructed the bridge, Malam Bashir, told Daily Trust that the four side-bridge roads were not part of the N2.5bn contract awarded to Rocad.
 However, he said the Kano State Government has awarded the contract for the construction of the roads in question to Rocad and that the company will mobilise to the site next week.
 His words: “As far as the bridge contract is concerned Rocad has finished its work, but for  the side-bridge roads, we are not responsible for constructing them. But now it has been awarded to our company and we are hoping to mobilise to the side by next week.”