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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
For decades, Douglas Road was Owerri’s headache and heartbeat at the same time. Traffic gridlock, compounded by roadside traders and battered by erosion; it was the road everyone used, but no one fancied the frustrating experiences.
But that story has changed. Reconstruction work on Douglas Road, now, officially renamed Senator Hope Uzodimma Drive, is is 90 percent complete. Pedestrian walkways are being finalised, solar-powered streetlights stand in rows, and dual erosion-control drainage lines run the length of the corridor. From Bank Road down to Cathedral Roundabout and through to Emmanuel College on Aba Road, the once chaotic artery now presents what commuters are calling a “commuter-friendly” and “world-class” look.
The transformation was led by the Imo State Ministry of Works and Infrastructural Development, under the ministry’s Commissioner, Ralph Nwosu, with Crangberg Construction meeting the projects’ deadlines.
The most visible change is discipline. A central market divide and concrete barricades now separate traders from the main carriageway. Culverts have been installed to keep market activities within designated spaces and prevent the indiscriminate display of goods that once spilled onto the road.
“Before, you could spend 40 minutes from Bank Road to Cathedral because of vehicles and traders,” said Chinedu Okoro, a commercial driver who plies the route daily. “Now, movement is free. The road is wide, clean, and you can actually drive without fear of potholes or sudden stops.”
Market users and residents echoed same sentiment. The new layout has opened space for vehicular flow while keeping commercial activity intact, just not on the road.
The project goes beyond asphalt, it is installed with solar-powered streetlights for night visibility and reduced energy costs, dual drainage system to tackle perennial flooding and erosion, pedestrian walkways currently ongoing to protect pedestrians, and market barricades to enforce order and road safety.
Government officials said the speed of delivery reflects a deliberate push to reposition Owerri’s urban core.
“Nobody would have believed Douglas Road could wear this look under four months,” a senior works ministry official noted during an inspection. “This is about giving Imo a presentation to the world that matches its ambition.”
Douglas Road is more than a street. As one of the most populous roads in the South East, with historical bypasses and heavy daily footfall, its condition was often used as a barometer for governance in Imo.
Residents interviewed for this report rated the intervention highly, describing Governor Hope Uzodimma as the “best performing” governor in recent history for the visible infrastructure push across the state. The road project, they argued, complements the state’s rising Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile under the Imo State Internal Revenue Service (IIRS).
For a city often dubbed the “London of Africa” in local conversation, the new Senator Hope Uzodimma Drive is being held up as proof that the nickname can be backed by infrastructure.
Traders and residents are not taking the upgrade for granted. The common refrain in conversations along the road is about maintenance and cleanliness.
“We are happy with what the government has done,” said Mrs. Ngozi Eze, a trader relocated behind the new barricades. “Our prayer now is that we keep the road clean. No dumping refuse, no going back to selling on the road.”
That challenge now sits with both government agencies and the people who use the road daily. From a dirt-streaked, traffic-clogged corridor to a structured, lighted, and organised traffic, the Senator Hope Uzodimma Drive has turned a corner. Whether it stays that way will depend on enforcement, civic responsibility, and the same urgency that provided it. For now, commuters, investors, and residents agree on one thing: Douglas Road finally looks like the gateway Owerri deserves.
