NDDC begins reconstruction of 15.4km failed portions of Benin-Sapele expressway

…Oborevwori describes commission’s move as welcome development

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has commenced the reconstruction of considerable 15.4-kilometre failed portion of Benin-Sapele Expressway, assuring that the project will be completed to bring relief to commuters who had endured prolonged delays and difficult travelling conditions on the road.

Speaking at the flag-off of the reconstruction project, Chiedu Ebie, the Chairman of the NDDC Governing Board, said the Commission commenced the reconstruction following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to address the hardship being experienced by motorists and other road users along the corridor.

He assured residents that two contractors would be deployed to work from opposite ends of the project to accelerate completion.

According to him, the Benin-Sapele Expressway is not merely a regional road but a critical national economic corridor linking the South-South with other parts of the country.

He noted that the NDDC had also taken steps to terminate and re-award the contract for the Abraka-Obiaruku-Abavo-Agbor Road following challenges encountered by the previous contra

Samuel Ogbuku, Managing Director of the Commission, apologised to residents, community leaders and commuters for the hardship caused by the deplorable condition of the road, assuring them that relief was on the way.

Ogbuku said the intervention followed a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after the President saw videos and received complaints about the condition of the road.

He said the NDDC had engaged the Federal Ministry of Works, obtained the project design and secured approval for the site to be handed over to the commission for immediate intervention.

The NDDC boss said the road’s strategic importance made its reconstruction imperative, noting that it was a major federal route linking the South-West and North to the South-South.

Giving details of the project, Victor Antai, an engineer and the NDDC executive director (Projects), said the reconstruction which covered approximately 15.4 kilometres would be executed with rigid concrete pavement.

Antai said China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Ronin and Fan Limited had been engaged to execute the project.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, described the intervention as a major boost to connectivity, economic activities and the wellbeing of residents in the state and motorists.

The governor, who was represented by Charles Aniagwu, the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, said the intervention underscored the importance of collaboration among governments and agencies in tackling infrastructure challenges across the Niger Delta.

Aniagwu said the State Government had also intervened in several federal road corridors in Delta State because the ultimate beneficiaries were Deltans, irrespective of whether such roads fell under federal or state jurisdiction.

According to him, the State Government had constructed more than five kilometres of rigid-pavement dual carriageway along the Warri axis, while bridges and flyovers had also been constructed along federal road corridors, including at Otovwodo Junction, DSC Roundabout, PTI Junction and Enerhen Roundabout and Uromi Junction, Agbor.

“We don’t differentiate,” Aniagwu said, stressing that the state government had spent over N300 billion on federal corridors to make them motorable and reduce the hardship faced by road users.

The commissioner appealed to residents and other stakeholders to cooperate with the contractors to ensure timely completion of the project.

Aniagwu also urged residents to desist from vandalising critical infrastructure, citing the recent discovery of damaged components on the First Niger Bridge. He warned that the removal of components from the First Niger Bridge could compromise its structural integrity and endanger road users.

Earlier, Monday Igbuya, the Delta State representative on the NDDC Governing Board, commended the Commission for approving the reconstruction of the highway.

Igbuya appealed to the NDDC to extend its intervention to the Amukpe-Abraka-Agbor Road and the Sapele-Warri Road to further improve connectivity across Delta State.

In their goodwill messages, Senator Ede Dafinone and Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu commended President Tinubu and the NDDC for the intervention.