Barely 2 months after inauguration, Delta road collapses

macfranc007 July 31, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Naija news 24/7 Nnenna Ibeh

- A section of the 19.5 km Jesse-Boburuku Road has collapsed barely two months after it was inaugurated

- The collapse of the newly rehabilitated road sparked anger among residents of the state

- According to a staff of the contracted company, the collapse was an accident waiting to happen

A road recently integrated by the Delta state government in Ethiope West local government area has collapsed.

The section of the 19.5 km Jesse-Boburuku Road caved in barely two months after it was commissioned by the state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, accompanied by the chairman of the south south governors’ forum, Seriake Dickson and former governor of the state, James Ibori, among others.

Vanguard reports that the collapse of the newly constructed road sparked anger among residents of the state. The residents who were elated when the contract for the rehabilitation for the road was awarded had hailed the governor.

They said the project would facilitate transportation of their agricultural produce from the rural communities to urban areas. However, their expectations were cut short following the collapse.

Speaking on the matter, a source within the construction company to which the contract was awarded- Gomene Construction Nig. Ltd - said the collapse was an accident waiting to happen.

The source said: “While we were constructing the road, we noticed that the culvert had cracked and there was the need for it to be replaced with a bridge. Government refused heeding to our advice

“Upon noticing this, the management of Gomene Construction Nig. Ltd wrote to the Delta state government through the commissioner for works on the need to build a bridge in addition to the road project, unfortunately, the state government declined the request for the bridge with the road constructed on the shaky culvert which led to the collapse of the road,” the source added.

Also in his reaction, the commissioner for work, James Augoye, debunked comments that the failure of the road was a result of a “shoddy job” by the contractor.

Augoye said the Ministry of Environment in an attempt to open up the Omoja Stream, across which the failed culvert was constructed, expanded it beyond the width of the existing culvert. According to him, the width of the river channel was increased from 10m to 30m, especially at the location of the culverts.

Augoye said: “The increased flow of water resulted in scouring of the underlying earth material and consequently the surrounding asphalt cracked where there was depression and opened up. At the time of inspection, the failure was no longer progressive.

"There is, therefore, need to expand the culvert and reinstate the wing walls. “We have proposed to construct two no double cell culverts at either side of the existing 2.35m x 2.5m culvert. I have mobilised Levant to the site and work is commencing."

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He said the Delta state government regrets the inconvenience caused motorists by the collapsed culvert on the Jesse/Boboroku road.

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that the federal government had said that the date for the completion of the East-West Road cannot be ascertained.

The minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Uguru Usani, revealed that there is no certain date for the completion of the east-west road. He said the delay on the road project since it was awarded was due to financial constraints.

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