From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mohammed Bello, has assured that the 13.25-kilometre Apo-Karshi road, first awarded in 2011, will be completed and open to the public before this year’s rains.
The minister blamed an error of design for the delay in completion.
The road was designed to ease the gridlock at the AYA-Nyanya-Mararaba section of the Abuja-Keffi road that links the Abuja metropolis with some densely populated satellite towns including Karshi and neighbouring Nasarawa State.
The award of the contract by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) in 2011 was for a sum of N6.4 billion (N6,355,609,124.53).
The scope of the contract was to include site clearance and earthworks; construction of culverts (pipe and box) of various sizes; drainages; construction of two bridges of 3-span (45m) and 5-span (75m); rehabilitation of one bridge; as well as pavement and surfacing.
Reminded that commuters faced daily gridlock on Abuja-Keffi road due to the delay in completion, Bello told State House Correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council meeting that the initial challenges encountered by the project contractor have been surmounted, adding that work is at an advanced stage.
‘The Karshi-Apo road is a project that should have been delivered by now. One of the main challenges faced in that road has to do with an error in the design whereby a huge rock outcrop on the alignment of the road corridor became very difficult to be able to arrange. But we are very happy to say that it is now almost taken care of. I believe within a few months time hopefully before the onset of the rains this year, that road would be open. “Already a portion of that road which links Tundun Wada on the Abuja-Keffi Expressway via old and new Karshi is now very motorable because of the bridge constructed there by the Ecological Fund, which was commissioned about a month ago,’ the minister said.
‘I believe this road would help on the Abuja-Keffi Expressway particularly the portion from the military formation right to Nyanya, which I’m sure you aware the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing are working on. It’s been widened and all the alignment for the road proper have been graded.’
On the demonstration against insecurity and incessant abduction by Pegi community in Kuje area council of the FCT, Bello said the situation was being looked into with a view to addressing them.
‘On the demonstration by Pegi community over insecurity, all the insecurity concerns were raised at the FCT security council meeting on Tuesday. We are focusing on three things – vandalism, cultism and drug abuse and communal clashes. We have looked at them and we are working on them.’
The minister also blamed lack of funds for the non-completion of the road leading to the resettlement area in Pegi.
‘The road in Kuje leading to the resettlement centre has been affected by budgetary constraints especially as you know 2020 was a difficult year for everybody particularly in terms of our ability to fund our projects. But I hope in 2021 based on what we have in the budget we will work as much as possible to see that this project is completed after all it’s just 14 kilometres.’