The Federal Government has reclaimed the Benin-Asaba Road for reconstruction and dualisation following a directive by President Bola Tinubu, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has disclosed.

Umahi made this known in Asaba on Thursday during the reopening of the First Niger Bridge along the Asaba-Onitsha Road.

The development was confirmed in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the minister’s Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze.

According to the minister, the concession arrangement that previously prevented the Ministry of Works from directly handling the Benin-Asaba Road project has been discontinued, allowing the Federal Government to take full responsibility for its reconstruction.

“What stopped the Ministry of Works from reconstructing Benin-Asaba Road, the concessioning of that route, has been unsealed. We now have our route back to the Ministry of Works,” Umahi said.

He explained that Tinubu had directed a comprehensive redesign of the 136-kilometre road as a dual carriageway, adding that design work was already underway ahead of construction.

Umahi assured motorists and residents that the project would significantly improve transportation along the strategic corridor connecting the South-South and South-East regions.

“The legacy of President Bola Tinubu, you will see it ongoing on this road. Never again will our people suffer on this road,” he said.

First Niger Bridge Gets Major Rehabilitation

The minister also announced significant rehabilitation works on the First Niger Bridge, following reports of alleged vandalism involving the removal of bolts and the cutting of iron components from its steel structure.

He said the ministry launched an intervention after a content creator raised the alarm over the alleged damage, prompting an inspection that uncovered dangerous tampering capable of compromising the bridge’s structural integrity.

Originally constructed in 1966 and commissioned by the then Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, the bridge had experienced years of inadequate maintenance, according to Umahi.

He explained that the latest rehabilitation included asphalt resurfacing, median demarcation, solar-powered lighting, CCTV cameras and observation centres at both ends of the bridge.

Three turnaround passages were also provided to support emergency operations.

“Exactly the treatment we gave to the Third Mainland Bridge is the treatment we gave to this place,” the minister stated.

While commending the contractor, SKCC, for the work completed, Umahi identified additional tasks, including repainting the entire steel structure, treating rust-affected sections beneath the bridge deck and installing canopies.

He also warned against illegal sand dredging within 10 kilometres of bridges, directing the directors of works in Delta and Anambra states to enforce the prohibition or face disciplinary action.

Tinubu Orders Reconstruction of East-West Road

Umahi further disclosed that President Tinubu had directed the reconstruction of approximately 400 kilometres of the East-West Road as a spur of the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

He said design work on sections of the East-West Road was nearing completion, dismissing claims that construction activities on the coastal highway had been suspended.

“Some people thought that the East-West Road was a road in the South-East. East-West Road is entirely in the Niger Delta. The coastal road is the right of the Niger Delta people,” he said.

The minister also revealed that reconstruction of the Enugu-Port Harcourt Road had reached 90 per cent completion.

He added that construction was ongoing on a 44-kilometre concrete pavement section in Port Harcourt, alongside a 107-kilometre dual carriageway project in Anambra State, where 33 kilometres had already been completed.

Umahi also highlighted the 17.5-kilometre Section 2B of the Second Niger Bridge bypass, valued at ₦172 billion, as another major federal infrastructure project in the region.

He said the ongoing and planned projects reflected the Tinubu administration’s commitment to improving road infrastructure, strengthening regional connectivity and easing transportation challenges across the South-East and South-South.

“These are projects that show the President’s commitment to the South-East. We cannot thank the President enough,” Umahi said.