The Federal Ministry of Works has said the Kaduna Eastern bypass road is currently at about 58.7 per cent.

Director 1, HighWays, North-West Zone of the ministry, Goni Muhammed, said this while speaking to journalists on Saturday in Kaduna after supervising the ongoing Eastern bypass road construction.

Mr Goni said the contractors of the Kaduna Eastern bypass, Exciogullari Construction Company, had been on the project for a long time and were performing well which explained the current level of the project.

He said the company had achieved about 36km asphalt length, adding that after the company’s last augmentation, a total of about N8 billion remained to be paid to them.

Despite that, Mr Goni said the contractors persevered and continued work on the project alignment and sticking to standard quality.

He noted that the Kaduna Eastern bypass project which has a spur to Rabah road has about 10 bridges.

He said, “The government is trying towards ensuring that outstanding debts to contractors are paid.’’

He reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s administration commitment to enhancing roads and infrastructure to facilitate growth, adding that a matching order was given to construct, reconstruct and rehabilitate critical federal roads and bridges nationwide.

The Federal Controller of the Federal Ministry of Works in Kaduna,Ulagu Loveday,  disclosed that the Kaduna Eastern bypass road was  officially supposed to be completed on  May 2, 2026.

Loveday, who doubles as the Engineer representative of the project, added that the project is currently at 78.0 per cent financial completion.

He assured that with the pace at which the contractor was working, and funding adequately provided the contractors would complete the project.

The Project Manager of Exciogullari Construction Company Nigeria Limited, handling the road, Yunus Salihu, said the Chikaji River where a bridge is constructed has a length of about 324 meters where the pillars have been casted.

Mr Salihu said the entire construction of the Kaduna Eastern bypass is a virgin one, which entails rigorous steps especially with the bridge connections.

He lamented irregular funding and security problems as the major factors affecting the pace of the construction.

He said, “This is a prone area, our workers used to be attacked sometimes. Two of our workers were killed here. During the rainy season, the Chikaji River floods the whole area and there is no way we can work. We have since then tried to reach this level and we will face the project squarely this dry season.’’

One of the Exciogullari Construction Company Directors, Aminu Gambo, said the Eastern bypass road is also critical to development in Kaduna.

He said the project has a history of staggered funding which has however greatly improved.

According to Gambo, when the road is completed, it will create expansion in the city and enable farmers in the chikaji region to move their farm produce with ease.

He said the company employed the services of indigenous workers to provide them with means of sustenance.

The road project was awarded in 2002, and has since witnessed a series of challenges ranging from funding and insecurity, among others.

The team also supervised the ongoing rehabilitation of Mararaba Pambeguwa-Saminaka-Jos road with a spur from Saminaka-Bauchi border.

It also supervised the ongoing rehabilitation of the Zaria-Funtua-Sheme road.

(NAN)