FCTA projects 90% completion for road network, discourages roadside trading 

Commuters traversing the ever busy Dutse:Alhaji road, in Bwari Area Council of the the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are now feeling at ease, following the speedy completion of major expansion works on the road.

In particular, many residents in communities such as Dutse-Alhaji, Duste-Makaranta, Sokale, Usuman Dam and Bwari Town are now very happy, as for a road they hitherto used to spend two hours, they traverse now in 40 minutes.

This is coming against the backdrop of years of untold hardship and nightmarish experiences, resulting in loss of daily man-hours by commuters while plying the road, despite FCT Administration’s assurances to hasten up the project and ease traffic gridlock there.

Recall that the road expansion works awarded by the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to Setraco Construction Company (SCC) ltd, in as part of efforts to reduce daily traffic gridlock on that road axis leading to Bwari town of Abuja.

However, on a visit to the area, the Chairman, commercial drivers Association covering Ushafa and Bwari axis of Duste-Alhaji, Abdurasheed Aminu,  said the road is now okay, as they are at comfortable using the road.

Aminu described the development as a dream come true, as commuters like never before, are enjoying a seamless vehicular and human traffic flow, thereby improving the socioeconomic welfare of people in the area.

“At this stage, the road is okay, but let them give us a garage, because we don’t have anyone here, so people are parking on the road corridor. Even the Keke riders don’t have a garage, so they should also be given a garage, to enable us do what we do better,” he stressed.

According to the Director, Satellite Town Development Department (STDD), Engineer, Felix Nwankwo, the road is virtually completed as it’s at almost 90%, the only thing remaining is the wearing curve and some portions with small cable works.

Nwankwo, who spoke with newsmen during inspection of the road said, all the junctions and entrances have been designed for the project which was awarded in 2010, as part of the Kubwa infrastructure project, so the traffic is going to be ok.

According to him, “What is left, is just relocation of the underground cables, because if we do it by Monday, before the end of this year or early next year, they will finish it. They are capable of doing it.

“The Pedestrian bridge is not our contract. It’s the contract of the transportation Secretariat, so we will write them, to remain them, they came here and started it and left. We have already a layback for them. They are the ones handling the pedestrian bridge project, not STDD,” he stated.

On his part, the Chairman, FCT Ministerial Taskteam on City Sanitation and Traffic Management, Comrade Ikharo Attah, commended the engineers of the STDD as well as those who handled the project, for doing a wonderful job.

“We, as traffic managers are extremely elated, because this will make our traffic management job a lot easier than when we had to come and stay here, and keep our men till 10 pm.

 “When we came here about two months ago, following a marching order by the FCT Minister, that the road should be motorable within two months, many persons doubted that this would work, but within the period we have almost finished the road. 

Despite the#EndSARS protests that stopped the work for about a week or so, the work is almost completed. The challenges we are having here is people trying to bring street trading to the main road; and people trying to turn a section of the road into a parking lot which we are discouraging. But by and large, the beautiful thing is that the FCTA has kept its two months promises to ensure that the road is motorable.

“Our appeal and fear is that the rate of speed that people plying the road now used especially at night, because they drive as if they are on the race track. That is very worrisome.”