Umahi Lists Completed Federal Roads, Bridges Awaiting Commissioning
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has listed several federal road and bridge projects completed under President Bola Tinubu’s administration and awaiting commissioning across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Umahi disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during a press conference on the Federal Government’s four legacy road projects, ongoing interventions and completed infrastructure projects being executed by the Ministry of Works.
The minister said the administration had progressed from planning to project delivery, noting that several major road corridors had either been completed or reached advanced stages of construction.
He described the four legacy projects — the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Calabar-Ebonyi-Abuja Trans-Saharan corridor and Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri dualisation — as strategic investments designed to improve connectivity across the country and stimulate economic growth.
Coastal Highway Progress
Providing an update on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Umahi said the 47-kilometre Section I had been completed, while Section II, covering approximately 55 kilometres, was nearing completion.
He explained that the project incorporated major flyovers, overpasses and underpasses to improve traffic movement and road connectivity.
According to him, sections around the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Seaport had been redesigned to integrate rail, road and industrial infrastructure.
The minister added that the Ondo axis was also redesigned to accommodate challenging terrain and deep pits encountered along the route.
He further disclosed that President Tinubu had directed that the continuation of the coastal highway be aligned with the existing East-West Road in the Niger Delta, with critical sections elevated to address flooding challenges.
On the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, Umahi said construction was progressing across Sokoto, Kebbi, Oyo, Ogun and Badagry, while work on the Niger and Kwara sections would commence soon.
Completed Projects Await Commissioning
Umahi identified the number of completed projects awaiting commissioning as evidence of the administration’s progress in delivering infrastructure.
He said the ministry was updating a comprehensive record of completed and ongoing projects, which would subsequently be published on its official website.
Among the projects listed for commissioning were Section I of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, 70 kilometres of the Kano-Maiduguri Road handled by Strabag, the Kwanar Danja-Hadejia Road, Kaduna-Pambeguwa Road and 43 kilometres of the Keffi-Mararaba Road executed by China Harbour.
Other projects include the 15-kilometre Lafia Bypass on the 260-kilometre Makurdi-Numan Road, the 7.9-kilometre Bodo-Bonny Road with bridges across the Opobo Channel, and 15 kilometres of concrete pavement at Obajana along the Lokoja-Benin corridor.
The minister also listed the 7.5-kilometre Danbatta-Demesu dualised road, the Gombe-Potiskum rehabilitation project and the Azare Road linking Jigawa and Bauchi states.
Also on the list are the five-span Apapa Bridge, the 23-span, 23-kilometre flyover at Eke Obinagu, and the three-span, 75-metre dualised Tizm Bridge in Enugu State.
Umahi further identified the 24-kilometre Shagamu Interchange-Iperu Junction road and sections of the Lagos-Badagry and Lagos-Ibadan-Lagos-Shagamu-Ore corridors as completed projects.
Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, Benin-Asaba Road
On the 375-kilometre Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Expressway, the minister said all sections had been completed except the Jere-Kaduna stretch.
He added that solar-powered streetlights were being installed along the expressway to enhance visibility and improve motorists’ safety.
Umahi also defended the ministry’s adoption of concrete pavement on selected road projects, explaining that the approach was intended to improve durability and extend the lifespan of infrastructure.
He said the projects were subjected to the required procurement procedures through the Bureau of Public Procurement and the Federal Executive Council.
The minister further disclosed that the ministry had introduced Operation Rescue on the Benin-Asaba Expressway to restore mobility along the route through a concrete reconstruction programme.
He said the various road and bridge projects formed part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen national connectivity, improve transportation efficiency and support economic activities across the country.
