The Federal government has promised to put into use the 15-kilometre stretch of the Enugu–Onitsha highway before Easter, to ease transportation challenges and boosting economic activities across the South East.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, made the promise during an inspection tour of ongoing Federal road projects in Enugu State, expressing satisfaction with the pace and quality of work achieved so far.
Umahi said the section of the road, which has reached an advanced stage of completion, would be opened on or before March 31, even if finishing touches such as road markings and median curbs are yet to be concluded.
According to him, the directive is part of the Federal Government’s commitment to providing immediate relief to road users while ensuring long-term infrastructure durability.
He noted that the Enugu–Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt corridors are among the most strategic routes in the Southeast, historically plagued by traffic congestion, tanker accidents, and deteriorating pavement conditions.
However, he expressed optimism that ongoing reconstruction efforts would permanently reverse the trend.
“The complaints about bad roads are becoming a thing of the past,” Umahi stated, attributing the progress to the infrastructure drive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Minister revealed that the Enugu–Port Harcourt dual carriageway, spanning approximately 214 kilometres, is being redesigned to incorporate concrete pavement on at least 50 per cent of its length, a departure from the traditional asphalt approach.
He explained that the shift is intended to enhance road longevity and reduce maintenance costs.
On funding, Umahi acknowledged that inherited liabilities estimated at over N13 trillion across more than 2,000 projects as of May 2023 have posed significant challenges.
Despite this, he said the President has directed that payments be prioritised for ongoing projects, including those in the Southeast.
He admitted that delayed payments have affected contractors’ pace of work but expressed confidence that progress would accelerate once funds are disbursed.
“You cannot expect optimal performance when contractors are unpaid, but we appreciate their continued trust in government,” he said.