Follow Us on Google
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, commissioned the 39-kilometre Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers State, providing the first permanent road connection between Bonny Island and the mainland, more than four decades after the project was conceived.
The road, constructed by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, traverses Bonny and Gokana Local Government Areas and includes major bridges across the Afa Creek, Opobo Channel and Nanabie Creek, offering residents and businesses an alternative to water transportation.
The commissioning ceremony, held at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt, attracted top government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders who gathered to witness the formal opening of the long-awaited infrastructure.
President Tinubu, who unveiled the commissioning plaque, formally declared the road and its accompanying bridges open for public use.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister of Works, David Umahi, announced that the President had approved an extension of the Bodo-Bonny Road to connect it directly to the East-West Road, a development expected to strengthen transportation links and expand economic opportunities across the Niger Delta.
Umahi explained that the extension would involve an additional 8.9-kilometre dual carriageway, amounting to 17.8 kilometres of reinforced concrete pavement, designed to improve accessibility and facilitate the movement of goods and services.
He put the average construction cost at approximately N7.4 billion per kilometre, citing the extensive engineering requirements and bridge infrastructure associated with the project.
Speaking on the sidelines of the commissioning, Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Peer Lubasch, described the completion of the road as the fulfilment of a vision conceived more than 40 years ago, saying the project represented a significant breakthrough in Nigeria’s infrastructure development.
“Today marks a historic milestone, not only for the people of Rivers State, but for Nigeria as a nation. For the very first time, Bonny Island is permanently connected to the mainland by road infrastructure.”
Lubasch disclosed that the project, which was temporarily opened to traffic during the 2025 festive season, was substantially completed between May and June 2026, following extensive construction activities in the difficult marshy terrain of the Niger Delta.
According to him, the road incorporates three major bridges across Afa Creek, the Opobo Channel and Nanabie Creek, with a combined length of approximately 2,600 metres, alongside 10 smaller bridges measuring about 600 metres.
He said the challenging soil conditions required specialised engineering solutions, including the placement of approximately 3.5 million cubic metres of sand, installation of 10 million linear metres of prefabricated vertical drains and deployment of one million square metres of geotextile materials to guarantee the stability and durability of the infrastructure.
Lubasch maintained that the successful execution of the project demonstrated the capacity of Nigerian infrastructure development to overcome difficult environmental and engineering conditions.
“Today, this road will significantly improve connectivity, stimulate commerce, enhance socio-economic development and, most importantly, provide a safer and more reliable alternative to water transportation for thousands of Nigerians.”
He commended the Federal Government, Nigeria LNG Limited, Rivers State Government and other stakeholders for their contributions to the project, while acknowledging the commitment of engineers, project managers, technical professionals and thousands of workers involved in its execution.
For decades, residents of Bonny Island and adjoining communities have depended largely on water transportation to reach the mainland, a situation that has posed challenges to the movement of people, goods and services.
The completion of the road is expected to reduce dependence on marine transportation, improve access to markets and other essential services, and stimulate commercial activities in communities along the corridor.
The additional connection to the East-West Road, when completed, is also expected to strengthen the strategic importance of the Bodo-Bonny corridor by linking the island more directly with major transportation and commercial networks across the region.
