‘Why I stopped work on 3 Abuja bridges’
Could you give us an update on the pedestrian bridges being constructed in six locations in FCT?The pedestrian bridges have picked up momentum after the hitches we encountered initially with the defective work and the dislocation I mentioned earlier on in my last interview with you. Those locations were at Banex junction, Area one junction […]
Could you give us an update on the pedestrian bridges being constructed in six locations in FCT?
The pedestrian bridges have picked up momentum after the hitches we encountered initially with the defective work and the dislocation I mentioned earlier on in my last interview with you.
Those locations were at Banex junction, Area one junction and Wuye junction. So as I promised you the bridge at Banex junction was delivered right on time. I promised you completion in September and we made it.
The other three bridges and the other two along Mabushi and Sheraton junction are all working well. We hope that by late December or January we should complete those ones. The defective beams in three locations mentioned earlier have been now cast. So we could say the works are going on well.
The World Bank officials were around last month for inspection and we went round the bridge locations. They’ve seen what was going on and they were quite happy with the measures we took to address the lapses in the pedestrian bridges.
What are the challenges you are facing now?
The major challenge I will say we’re having now is removing the already cast beams that are defective. We have to now find a way to manage the traffic situation. You know if they have to go down to remove them they might disrupt traffic activities. So the major challenge is planning an active traffic management measure which will not disrupt activities of road users. But most of the beams are being cast. When you cast a beam you must allow it to cure for a certain time. But the one at Banex is hoisted up.
How many pedestrian bridges are we talking about and why were they chosen for construction?
Those six for now are based on priority. The FCT Administration prioritized the list of the bridges that it wants. So those locations are key critical black locations where the need for those bridges arises for now. It is based on prioritization process which the FCT Administration did based on demand analyses – maybe there are a lot of accidents there. That is why those locations came up first. But there are other locations in the pipeline.
Some people credit it to the FCT Administration, some give it to the Federal Government. Who actually owns the project?
Well, let us say the credit goes to the World Bank for coming up with the road safety component in the FIDP Loan. There is a global loan which the Federal Ministry of Works took. That loan has three components: the civil work, institutional reform and the road safety component.
World Bank sat down and said look since you are assisting the road safety commission why don’t we look at Abuja as a growing city and find a way of intervening and reducing accident occurrence on vulnerable road users. So the credit should go to the World Bank but both the Works Ministry and FCT Administration have the synergy of working together for the successful completion of these bridges so the credit is to both parties.
As far as this project is concerned, how would you assess the cooperation of the World Bank?
Well, the cooperation is fantastic in the sense that the World Bank monitors us on quarterly basis. They are the disbursing authority. The funds are with them and prior to any action taken they must give you a no objection to each stage of the work. So the cooperation is there and we’re working well with them and they come occasionally on supervision of the projects.
So far, so good. Last month, when they came on a mission, they commended the Federal Ministry of Works on the good work it was doing in the disbursement of the FIDP credit.
What do we expect in the coming weeks in the progression of the bridges construction?
In the next few weeks, we’re looking at the completion of the other remaining bridges. But for now, we look forward to handing over the bridge at Banex junction once the beams are launched so that will be the second bridge that will be ready after NICON bridge.
The major reason for the construction of these pedestrian bridges is to reduce the rate vehicles hit pedestrians. But we know that in some places with bridges though, pedestrians still walk across the way.
I appeal to them to make proper use of these bridges so that the objectives of this project will be met. It should not be a wasted effort.
Just like the use of seat belt is being enforced, is there any way compliance can be enforced?
I had a meeting with the Director of Transport and Secretary of Transport two weeks ago. Both of them agreed that they will deploy their VIOs to this bridge locations to ensure properly use. You can see we have guard rails in the middle to block people from crossing so in addition to that we hope the guard rails are not cut or pulled down. That’s why they need to send these VIOs to strategic locations.
What is the project cost and stages of completion? How much has been disbursed so far?
Stages of completion of these bridges range from 60-85 percent. And in addition to the bridges that we’re providing, we’ve road markings, upgrade of some traffic signals at some strategic junctions. We’re talking of about 15 junctions. We’re upgrading them and powering them with solar power. So if you look at the intervention, it doesn’t just stop at the bridges. Road markings are there and the traffic signals are there and guard rails are also part of the loan disbursement for the road safety component of the FCT.
The project cost.
$10 million is the amount for road safety intervention within the FCT. So far, we’ve committed about $7 to $7.5 million for both pedestrian bridge construction and for the 15 interventions where we’re providing and upgrading the traffic signals and for the road markings and provision of guard rails. So we have a balance of about $2.5 million to $3 million which we’re now working with the FCT to find other ways…From the meeting I had with them, they’re proposing two other bridges for construction.