Umahi Orders Simultaneous Work, Temporary Access on Calabar-Abuja Superhighway
From Nabob Ogbonna, Abakaliki
The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has directed contractors handling the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Kogi-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway to work simultaneously at different locations and ensure that the road is temporarily accessible to motorists in the area.
Umahi gave the directive on Saturday during an inspection of the ongoing superhighway project, which cuts across six states of the federation.
The minister further directed the contractor handling Section Two of the superhighway, located along the Ebonyi-Benue axis, to open at least three work fronts to fast-track progress on the project.
To achieve this, the minister said the contractors should deploy sufficient manpower and resources to accelerate delivery while ensuring that existing buildings along the alignment are reduced to avoid incurring additional costs.
The minister said the instruction was necessary to overcome engineering challenges along the route, including rivers and swampy sections.
According to him, “Contractors must find engineering solutions to difficult terrain without compromising the quality or durability of the highway.
“I do not believe in engineering that anything is impossible. We sat this morning and agreed on how to cross the bridge.
“Also, work should simultaneously be ongoing at different locations, and the road should be temporarily accessible to motorists in the area,”.
He also ordered that no building should be demolished merely because it falls within the proposed alignment without further technical assessment.
“My directive is that no building should be touched. Even if it is within the alignment, I have to come and realign it,” he said.
Umahi explained that the ministry would continue to make adequate technical adjustments where necessary, particularly around sharp curves and built-up areas.
He explained that, under the financial arrangement, such modifications would not impose additional costs on the Federal Government.
He said the contractor had made significant progress since his previous inspection, commending the project team for the work executed so far.
The Federal Ministry of Works had earlier described the Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja corridor as a strategic component of the Federal Government’s wider road infrastructure programme, with the route expected to improve connectivity between the South-East, South-South and North-Central regions.
