Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta has been commended for his drive to urbanise rural communities in the state through massive road and drainage construction.
State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban) Mr. Noel Omodon gave the commendation while speaking to newsmen recently in his office in Asaba.
He said that across the nooks and crannies of the state construction work was ongoing geared towards opening up places that were hitherto unreachable.
He stressed that the state government’s bridge projects were progressing very well adding that most of them would be completed before the end of the Okowa administration.
“Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa has distinguished himself in infrastructure delivery including quality roads construction across the state.
“He is opening up spaces with his urban renewal drive, moving our rural communities from primitive to pre-urban and by extension providing access roads to previously unreachable places.
“Aside the providing access roads to rural communities, he also consolidating urban places with bridges, drainages and improving on the aesthetics of the cities to make them more livable.”
On the Ayakoromo bridge linking Ughelli South to Burutu Local government area, Omodon explained that work is going on well as the contractor had returned to site following a successful review of the project cost.
“Ayakoromo is also going very fine we are following that up, it was one of my fear because of Burutu, that road will help us connect Burutu finally and all our local government headquarters will be fully connected when completed.
“I am happy, I talked to some of my people inside Ayakoromo and they reported to me independently of what the contractor has been telling me so I am quite happy.
“And then the funding is very good because the governor is quite committed to it. They must complete now because we don’t have anything delaying us again so that we don’t have another reason to start to re-evaluate again so Ayakoromo is coming up.
*Beneku bridge is also coming up very rapidly, I cannot give you a set time now because where we are now, we are about to launch some beams across.
“Every other thing is ready you know we had to extend the road because we had to lift the bridge higher, the initial ramp could not go so we had to shoot it a bit further, meaning we have to enter the town by another road and that is costing us more.
“We have done all of that, the culverts are all in place, and they have not started doing the filling. But all the piles, the cross beams are ready, we are casting longitudinal beams and all the few other elements.
“Work is ongoing, I am quite anxious that I need to follow it very closely. The reason I feel so is that I think we are working a thin line with that because it is one of the legacy projects we must deliver before the end of our tenure.”
On the Orere bridge in Ughelli South, Omodon said the contactor is working very hard to deliver on the project adding that there was some adjustments to the initial design.
“The Orere bridge is another big one, when they did the first assessment we assumed that the high water mark was a bit low but when they found out that it flooded because as you come in from Ughelli south into the bridge, the areas before are a bit low.
“But after the rivers the areas are higher so they have done all the piling from that side and all the piling on this side only for us to find out that, that area is a bit low so water could run into our roads so we have to take the bridge back a little.
“All the piles are now in place, the beams are also being cast, I got a report about that yesterday and the contractor has all the reinforcement he needs.
“The Orere bridge will be another success story of the Okowa’s administration when it is fully completed hopefully.” he said.
On the Umusume bridge across River Ethiope in Obiaruku, the Commissioner said work is progressing massively on the project and expressed optimism that it will be completed in by December, 2022.
“The Umusume bridge in Obiaruku is another interesting one. We have a situation where from Obiaruku you run down to the river once you cross the river it is steeper on that side for some funny reason, so we had to make a kind of curve that allows us for a more gentle climb.
“It is a beautiful site, all the piles are in place, and the launching of the beams will soon start. That one is also ready, I believe that one will be amongst the earliest ones to be completed.
“It is my dream to have it inaugurated during my time as Commissioner, i have the pleasure of being in the office by God’s grace when the excellent landmark will be achieved and that will make my day that I was a part of that system,” Omodon stated.
PRESS UNIT, GOVT. HOUSE, ASABA
