Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, has directed that a permanent solution be provided to the washed-out section of the East-West Road at Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area, following days of torrential rainfall.
Oborevwori gave the directive on Saturday when he inspected the damaged section of the major highway, which links Delta with Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
The Governor, who was accompanied by the Regional Manager of Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, Fredrick Wieser; Chairman, Ughelli North Local Government Council, Olorogun Jaro Egbo; Executive Director, NEXIM Bank, Hon Stella Okotete, among others, commended Julius Berger for its swift response to the emergency.
He said the road section collapsed after about six consecutive days of heavy rainfall, making immediate intervention necessary to restore traffic and ease the hardship being experienced by motorists and residents.
“When I saw what happened as a result of the rainfall, which continued for about six days, and the place collapsed, I immediately call Julius Berger, knowing that they are very competent in this kind of intervention, to move in,” the Governor said.
Oborevwori said the immediate priority was to restore traffic, while seeking for permanent solution, adding that “the state government is ready to fund the permanent remedial works”.
He explained that a large volume of water from different parts of Agbarho passed through the affected section, creating serious hydraulic pressure and contributing to the failure of the road.
According to him, Julius Berger had commenced technical studies to determine the most appropriate permanent solution, which could involve the construction of a mini-bridge or a multi-cell culvert.
The Governor stressed that the intervention must go beyond temporary repairs, insisting that the permanent solution should be designed to effectively accommodate the volume of water passing through the area.
Oborevwori disclosed that Julius Berger had assured the state government that the affected section would be temporarily made accessible to motorists, with the two lanes expected to be opened for traffic shortly.
The Governor sympathised with motorists and residents affected by the incident, saying government’s responsibility during difficult times was to find solutions and demonstrate empathy.
He also appealed to Nigerians to desist from exploiting unfortunate incidents for political purposes, stressing that what mattered most was finding solutions to challenges confronting the people.
“When people are in difficult times and facing challenges, we are supposed to support them and show empathy, rather than exploit the situation,” he said.
Oborevwori said the East-West Road was a critical economic artery connecting several states in the South-South and beyond, stressing that its accessibility was vital to the movement of people and goods.
“This is the only road that leads to Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River. It is a major road; that is why it is called East-West Road,” he said.
He added that his administration remained focused on delivering infrastructure and other development projects across the state, assuring Deltans that government would continue to work to improve their welfare.
“Our own is to serve and to help the people. We were elected to serve our people, and we will continue to do that,” the Governor said.
Responding, Julius Berger Regional Manager, Fredrick Wieser, said the company was initially carrying out emergency works to restore the flow of traffic while simultaneously conducting surveys and hydraulic assessments.
“At present, we are only doing emergency work to enable traffic to flow. We are already on the ground carrying out a survey, and our design team is already working on the design,” Wieser said.
He explained that the permanent solution would either be a mini-bridge or a multi-cell culvert, depending on the outcome of the hydraulic calculations.
“It will either be a mini-bridge or a multi-cell culvert. That means three or four cells. Based on the hydraulic calculations, it will be decided how many culverts need to be constructed,” he said.
