Umahi opens completed sections of Enugu-Onitsha expressway for Easter

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Engr. Dave Umahi ( middle) during the opening of Enugu- Onitsha expressway

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By Madu Obi

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has opened the completed sections of the Enugu–Onitsha expressway to ensure easy movement during the Easter period, describing it as a major turning point for transportation and commerce in the South East geopolitical zone.

Speaking during the exercise at a spot close to the Onyeama Mine in Enugu, Umahi recalled that before the intervention of the current administration, commuters and freight operators spent over seven hours traveling between Enugu and Onitsha, resulting in high transportation costs, delays in goods delivery, and reduced economic productivity.

He described the road as the most important route in the Southeast, noting that although the contract was awarded years before 2023 when President Bola Tinubu assumed office, the project was abandoned for nearly eight years with minimal progress.

According to him, the road was initially executed under a tax credit scheme involving MTN and construction firm RCC, but suffered prolonged setbacks until President Tinubu directed its acceleration and redesign.

Umahi stated that Federal Government reviewed the original ₦202 billion contract, retaining part of it and redesigned some sections for reconstruction, using reinforced concrete pavement.

The redesigned section, he added, valued at about ₦150 billion, is being constructed to higher durability standards similar to those adopted for the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, adding that the total reconstruction cost of the Enugu–Onitsha road has exceeded ₦350 billion, reflecting both the scale of work and the government’s renewed commitment to infrastructure delivery.

The minister explained that the first 15 kilometres of the concrete section are 97 percent completed and have been opened to traffic to ease movement during the Easter period, stating that an additional 18-kilometres stretch is under construction towards Anambra State, while work is ongoing on a separate kilometers segment from the 2nd Niger Bridge axis.

He directed the contractors handling the asphalt portions of the road to adopt reinforced concrete for the remaining 23 kilometres, citing its longer lifespan and lower maintenance costs.

“Asphalt fails over time, but concrete can last for between 50 and 100 years with little or no maintenance,” Umahi stated.

He emphasised that, upon completion, at least 50 percent of the highway would be constructed with reinforced concrete, a move expected to significantly reduce lifecycle costs and ensure sustainability.

He noted that the upgraded highway would enhance trade flows between key commercial hubs, reduce vehicle operating costs, and boost small and medium-scale enterprises that depend on efficient logistics across the Southeast.

Umahi also listed other ongoing federal infrastructure projects in the region to include sections of the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway which is nearing completion, the dualization of the Enugu–Abakaliki road, and the reconstruction of the Afikpo–Abia–Okigwe corridor under a tax credit scheme.

Others include upgrades of the Aba–Port Harcourt road, construction of access roads and bypasses linked to the Second Niger Bridge, with multiple flyovers and interchanges aimed at easing congestion and improving urban mobility.

He said that collapsed bridges along the Enugu–Onitsha corridor have been rebuilt and fitted with solar-powered lighting systems, aligning with the government’s broader highway illumination initiative to improve safety and security.