Motorists lament slow pace of work on Aba-Port Harcourt road

Hundreds of motorists have lamented the slow pace of work on the Aba-Port Harcourt dual carriage way project awarded to a Chinese company.  The motorists said the pace at which the road contract was being carried out will not achieve the targeted objective of delivering the road on time. The Aba-Port Harcourt road is a […]

Hundreds of motorists have lamented the slow pace of work on the Aba-Port Harcourt dual carriage way project awarded to a Chinese company. 

The motorists said the pace at which the road contract was being carried out will not achieve the targeted objective of delivering the road on time.

The Aba-Port Harcourt road is a very strategic road to the nation’s economy as it links Aba and other industrial areas of the East with Port Harcourt.  

The road was constructed by Dumex Construction Company in the late 70s  but a larger section that stretched from Port Harcourt to Enugu has collapsed thereby putting the lives of motorists that ply it daily in danger.

The Federal Ministry of Works early this year awarded the contract for the dualisation of the road at N40 billion to a Chinese company.

The road is also expected to have a 50-year lifespan on completion. 

The pace at which the project is being done has, however become a source of worry to those that ply it.

When our reporter visited the stretch of the road, it was discovered that the sand filling has not covered up to three kilometres. The areas covered so far are from Oyigbo junction to the popular Port Harcourt police check point.

John Okwe, a motorist plying the road said he is confused over the slow pace of the work. “Since February when the project started I am yet to see any meaningful thing the contractor has done,’’ he said.

Another motorist, Chika Nmadu, expressed anger over the slow pace of work on the road saying that it exposed motorists to danger.

“The entire road is in a dilapidated state and one expected them to speed up work but the way they are going I doubt if this project will be delivered on the target edtime,’’ he said.

The project supervisor, Mr Idongesit Ebotakpan, during a recent inspection of the project in Port Harcourt told reporters that the Federal Government had given a marching order that the project should be a top priority.

Effort to speak with officials of the construction company was not successful.