Hundreds of commuters plying Aba/Port Harcourt road are groaning over the slow pace of work on the Aba-Port Harcourt section of Port Harcourt-Enugu road .
The slow pace of work on the 41.9 kilometre road, being undertaken by China Civil Engineering and Construction Company (CCECC), since 2018 at a cost of N40.3b is eliciting angry reactions from hundreds of motorists who ply the road every day.
The award of contract for the reconstruction of the road was received with joy by hundreds of road users but the slow pace of work is raising serious concern.
The former Minister of Works, Babatunde Fashola had visited the road two times and assured that the 2020 delivery date for the project will not be altered.
Our reporter learnt that the contractor is supposed to deliver two kilometers every month but checks have revealed it has completed less than seven kilometers so far.
The contractor is still battling with drainage excavation and sand filling which has not covered up to 10 kilometers. Some sections have been filled with chipping base. The areas covered so far, according to findings by our reporter, are from the boundary between Abia and Rivers to the Port Harcourt-Aba toll gate.
A resident of Oyigbo, Vincent Eze, who plies the road every day, said that the slow pace of work on the road was affecting vehicular movement. He said that the inability of the contractor to provide an alternative route to motorists have also made commuters to spend hours on the road.
He said: “The road is a very laudable project and we commend the federal government for awarding the contract because it was in a total mess. When work started we all received it with joy but the slow pace of work is causing a nightmare to road users. We spend hours before we pass through the road. The project is very big and the contractor is doing a very good job but the work is very slow. They should quicken work so that motorists can move freely.”
Another motorist, Chika Okolo blamed the traffic gridlock on the road to the inability of the contractor to provide an alternative route for motorists.
“The slow pace of work on this road is a source of worry to the road users . You spend hours on the road meandering. Whenever it rains one may spend more than four hours before one could pass through. The contractor is doing a good job but the work is very slow . One area they did not do well is the creation of an alternative route for motorists.
He said the decision of the Rivers state government to reconstruct Mbano Camp road in Oyigbo had eased the difficulty motorists are facing.
“If not for this alternative road constructed by Governor Nyesom Wike movement to Port Harcourt from Abia and other adjoining states such as Enugu and Imo would have been difficult, “ he stated.
He called on the Federal Government to expedite actions towards the completion of the road.
However, the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State, Engineer Johnson Fadire and the Project Manager, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation had told reporters in May that the slow pace of work on the road was as a result of slow release of fund.
Fadire said this has affected payment of compensations to owners of properties affected by the project.
He said payment of compensation became necessary in view of the expansion of the road from four to eight lanes to accommodate increase volume of traffic.
