Jonathan Commissions N4.4bn Edo/Delta Link Bridge

Victor Efeizomor in Asaba
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan on Friday
commissioned the Asaba-Ebu-Otor road linking
Delta and Edo States, with a promise to dualise the
road to enhance the economic value to the people of
the states .
Jonathan said the bridge was built at a cost of N4.4
billion by an indigenous company, Inter Bau
Construction, adding that the successful completion
of the bridge was a testimony of the benefits of the
Transformational Agenda of his administration.
Represented by Vice- President Namadi Sambo,
Jonathan said that the federal government was
determined to upgrade the infrastructural base of
the country, adding that the government decided to
change the policy of arterial roads in 2012 and that
resulted in the completion of the bridge in a record
time.
According to him, “It is gratifying to note that the
completed bridge is already impacting on the lives of
the people in terms of enhancing for farmers and
better social integration between the communities on
both sides of the bridge. I am pleased to inform you
that we have directed the Minister of Works to
commence the design and dualisation of the road.”
The President said that the federal government
would continue to partner with the private sector in
the road sector as it occupied a strategic place.
Earlier, the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike
Onolememen in his speech said that the completed
bridge was part of the road which runs from Asaba
to Illah, Ebu to Illushi, Ubiaja, Uromi and Irrua in
Edo State.
Tracing the history of the bridge to the 19th
century when the British built the first wooden
bridge across the Otor River which later collapsed,
Onolememen said that the modern bridge started in
2005 when the ex-Minster of Works, Senator
Adeseye Ogunlewe approved the project.
He said that when the initial contract for the 400
metre long bridge which consists of a 10 kilometer
access road which was initially valued at N2.9
billion was awarded in 2006, it was supposed to
have been completed in 2008 but was later shifted
to 2009.
He said that due to the federal government policy at
that time, it was transferred over to the Delta
State government which declined to take over on the
ground that it is an interstate project which
traversed Edo and Delta States but was again taken
over by the federal government in 2011 due to a
series of agitation by Edo and Delta communities.
He added: “The Contract was awarded t the same
contractor, Messrs Inter Bau Construction at a
revised of N4.4 billion. Work commenced in
December 2012 and has now been completed. The
project has provided a shorter link between the
South East and Abuja with an appreciable travel
reduction time of two hours.”
Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan used the
occasion to plead that the weight of vehicles plying
the road should be regulated so as to avoid the
wear and tear of the road.
Uduaghan said that the governments of Edo and
Delta states agitated for the transfer of the bridge
to the federal government when it was handed over
to them because of the funding which the two
governments could not afford but was glad that it
had finally been completed by the federal government.

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