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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Federal government has temporarily opened the 37.9 kilometres Bodo-Bonny link road for usage, while awaiting its completion in the first quarters of 2026.
The government said the opening of the road was due to popular demand by the host communities to ease transportation and reduce risk of travelling by sea.
Speaking during the event, the President, Bola Tinubu, represented by Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, stated that the Bodo-Bonny road project is a testament of the commitment of the Renewed Hope Agenda to transform the Niger Delta region.
He stated that motorcycles and tricycles popularly known as ‘Okada”, and Keke respectively, are barred from operations, while the road would be open between 7am to 7pm on daily basis for security reasons.
“For the convenience of the people, for the safety of the people, for the economic values of the people and Nigeria in general, we are going to open the route by two conditions.
“First, it will be in operation on daily basis and never to close again from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be no night journey on the route.
“Number two, there will be no heavy traffic on the route. The reason is that until we remove all the obstacles, there will be no opportunity for big vehicles. In case they get here and they break down on the road, it becomes a problem for us. So, we don’t want heavy trucks.
“Of course, Berger has to mount roadblock over there, but not financial roadblocks, so that no vehicle, big vehicles will pass. And again, no KeKe, no Okada will be allowed on this route for now,” he said.
The president commended the contractor, Julius Berger and its management for the commitment to deliver the road project after several years of delay, and as well the Rivers State government and the host communities for their support in ensuring that the project is a reality
He mentioned that the Federal government will soon open bid for a second carriage of the road to be constructed under Public-Private Partnership (PPP), and a toll for the adequate maintenance and durability of the road.
The president also announced the planned linking of the road to the East-West Road and called on both the Bodo and Bonny communities to provide land for the building of trailer parks to avoid parking of trucks on the road.
He also announced that the road will now have solar lights with installed CCTV cameras, which was not in the original plan of the road.
“The solar light was not part of the project before. Planting trees was not part of it. But carefully, we have made some savings. This carriage-way cannot sustain all the traffic for the next five years. So, we have to think of a second carriage-way which is going to be a kind of good start highway built on concrete,” he stated.
In his goodwill message, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, represented by the Secretary to State Government, Benebo Anabraba, thanked President Tinubu and the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, for their commitment in ensuring completion of the road.
He expressed the state government’s readiness to continually partner with the federal government to bring peace and development to the state.
He also noted the insecurity that the Bonny people and other coastal communities face travelling through the waters.
“We all know the dangers that the people of the island of Bonny and surrounding coastal communities face on the waterways apart from the natural heavy wave currents. Armed robbery at sea is another danger involved in using the waterways.”
Earlier, the Project Engineer representative for Julius Berger, Mr. Udom Joseph, mentioned that the Bonny road project is a landmark federal infrastructure development designed to provide a permanent and reliable land connection between Bodo town on the mainland and Bonny Island in Rivers State, to serve as the arterial link to Bonny Island where the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited and other oil companies are carrying out their major operations.
He stated that the project was awarded on December 11, 2014, and commencement date was October 28, 2017, marking the beginning of a critical national investment aimed at enhancing socioeconomic activities in the Niger Delta region.
Joseph explained: “The road spans 37.9 kilometres and traverses challenging terrain, including forests, swamps and creek networks, making it one of the most technically demanding road projects
undertaken in this country.
“The primary scope of the project includes a single carriage-way made up of flexible pavements on sand-filled embankments from chainage 0 to chainage 32 to 600 plus 600, and rigid pavements within Bonny town from chainage 32 plus 600 to chainage 37 plus 900.
“The design incorporates major and mini-bridges to navigate the numerous waterways along the route. Key structures include the 502-metre Alpha Creek Bridge, there are three major bridges, and
we have 9 mini-bridges.
“The project has undergone multiple financial revisions to accommodate environmental challenges. It has increased in scope. There have been several technical adjustments to where we are now, where we have the augmented.”
Joseph added that the project was originally scheduled for completion in August, 2022, adding that project, which is over 90 percent completion, would be completed in the first quarters of 2026.
