Federal Road Management Agency (FERMA) in Ebonyi State has rehabilitated a road and collapsed twin bridge on the ever-busy Abakaliki/Enugu Expressway. The bridge’s horrible state turned it into a death trap and flashpoint for armed robbers.
The bridge and road, located very close to Ukwuachi on the highway, almost became impassable, with accidents and robberies occurring at different times.
A FERMA engineer at Ebonyi State Field Office, Akinyemi Ojo, said the road became life-threatening following a washout.
He said some months back, they had a severe washout, a life-threatening washout there, adding that the agency has been able to approve money to rehabilitate the road.
“We have repaired the washout, provisioned the retaining wall and filled back the eroded place. We did our work there and paved the way for the place.
“We have two projects in that particular place. There is a spot on the road where people are having accidents on that bridge. So, we have been able to fill this pothole on that road,” he added.
Ojo said the agency would commence another rehabilitation work on another section of the Abakaliki/Enugu Highway constructed with concrete, which has also become life-threatening for motorists and other road users.
“We are commencing another one on that same Abakaliki/Enugu Highway. We have some patching of the concrete road that was constructed years ago. There is an area that develops a fault. We are now attending to that road,” he said.
He decried the state of many federal roads in the state, including Okposi/Nara Road, Abakaliki/Oferekpe Road, Oso Edda/Abia State Border Road, Nguzu/Ohafia Abia State Road, Ishiagu Mile 2 Abia State Border Road, Afikpo/Okigwe Highway, among others.
He explained that the agency had reported the roads to the federal government for urgent attention to save motorists and other road users from untold hardship.
