By Paul Joseph
The Federal Government has commenced massive road and bridge construction projects in Ebonyi State as part of efforts to connect the state to the ongoing Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway corridor.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed during an inspection tour of federal projects in the state Friday, said that the road project, valued at about N454 billion, includes the reconstruction of dangerous valleys and hilly terrains that had claimed several lives over the years.
Umahi inspected the ongoing construction of the Onueke flyover, Ndibe Beach bridge linking Cross River State and Ebonyi, as well as the Akpoha/Afikpo road project.
According to the minister, the Federal Government is cutting through rocky hills and reshaping winding valleys in Afikpo to improve safety and ease transportation in the area.
“We are doing the impossible. We are cutting through the hills so that the dangerous winding roads that consumed many lives will become a thing of the past,” Umahi said.
He praised contractors handling the projects, noting that work was progressing rapidly across multiple sections.
Umahi described the Akpoha/Afikpo road as the “third legacy project” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, explaining that the highway will eventually connect Calabar through Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi and Nasarawa to Abuja.
The minister said the 123-kilometre road project would feature reinforced concrete pavement, solar-powered streetlights and dual carriage sections in key areas.
He further revealed that the Federal Government has already paid 50 percent of the N454 billion contract sum.
Umahi added that another 178-kilometre section stretching from the Ebonyi-Benue boundary through Kogi and Nasarawa is also underway at a cost of N685 billion.
He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work being delivered, saying the scale of equipment deployed by contractors across Ebonyi was unprecedented in the state.
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