The Federal Ministry of Works has said the Kaduna Eastern bypass road is currently at about 58.7 percent completion.
Director 1, HighWays, North-West Zone of the ministry, Goni Mohammed, said this on Saturday in Kaduna after supervising the ongoing road construction.
Goni said the contractors of the Kaduna Eastern bypass, Exciogullari Construction Company, had been on the project for a long time and were performing well which made the current level of the project.
He said the company has achieved about 36 KM asphalt length, adding that after the company’s last augmentation, a total of about N8bn is remaining to be paid to them.
In spite of that, Goni said the contractors persevered and continued work on the project alignment and sticking to standard quality in all the construction.
He noted that the Kaduna Eastern bypass project which has a spur to Rabah road, has about ten bridges.
“The government is trying towards ensuring that all outstanding debts to contractors are paid,” he said.
He reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s administration commitment to enhancing roads and infrastructure to facilitate growth, adding that a matching order has been given to construct, reconstruct and rehabilitate critical federal roads and bridges nationwide.
Federal Controller of the Federal Ministry of Works in Kaduna, Ulagu Loveday, said the Kaduna Eastern bypass road is officially supposed to be completed on May 2, 2026.
Loveday, who doubles as the Engineer representative of the project, added that the project is currently at 78.0 per cent financial completion.
He assured that with the pace at which the contractor is working, and funding is adequately provided the contractors would complete the project.
The Project Manager of Exciogullari Construction Company Nigeria Limited,Yunus Salihu, handling the road said the Chikaji river where a bridge is constructed has a length of about 324 meters where all the pillars have been casted.
Salihu said the entire construction of the Kaduna Eastern bypass is a virgin one, which entails rigorous steps especially with the bridge connections.
He lamented irregular funding and security problems as the major factors affecting the pace of the construction.
“This is a prone area, our workers used to be attacked sometimes. Two of our workers were killed here”, he said.
“During the rainy season, the Chikaji river floods the whole area and there is no way we can work. We have since then tried to reach this level and we will face the project squarely this dry season,” he said.
One of the Exciogullari Construction Company Director, Aminu Gambo, said the Eastern bypass road is also critical to development in Kaduna.
He said the project has a history of staggered funding which has however greatly improved.
According to Gambo, when the road is completed, it would create expansion in the city and enable farmers in the chikaji region to move their farm produce with ease.
He said the company employed the services of indigenous workers so as to provide them with means of sustenance.
21st CENTURY CHRONICLE reports that the road project was awarded in 2002, and has since witnessed a series of challenges ranging from funding and insecurity, among others.
The team also supervised the ongoing rehabilitation of Mararaba Pambeguwa-Saminaka-Jos road with a spur from Saminaka-Bauchi border.
It also supervised the ongoing rehabilitation of the Zaria-Funtua-Sheme road.
