From CHARLES ONYEKWERE, ENUGU
Federal government has banned all forms of mining within a 10-kilometre radius of bridges across the country.
Minister of Works, David Umahi announced this during a press conference in Enugu at the weekend.
The minister said the directive aligned with the decisions of the Federal Executive Council with the aim of strengthening the structural integrity of bridges and ensuring road safety nationwide.
He added that enforcement would be intensified through the deployment of monitoring boats and other security measures.
Umahi disclosed that government will deploy patrol boats to enforce the ban around bridge corridors and will also provide two vehicles to the police for highway monitoring.
He said the ministry would support the vehicles’ maintenance with a monthly allocation of N3 million.
He reiterated the federal government’s commitment to safer highways, noting that CCTV cameras and solar lighting installations would extend beyond bridges to cover federal highways nationwide.
“We have already commissioned CCTV installations at Tomei Land Bridge and the Second Niger Bridge.
“Our commitment in deploying solar light and CCTV to monitor the bridges and the surroundings is not limited to bridges. It is what we are going to have in all our federal highways,” Umahi said.
The minister disclosed that the CCTV project at Tomei Land Bridge cost N480 million and is part of broader measures to improve surveillance and road security.
Umahi provided updates on major road projects in the South East, highlighting significant progress in rehabilitation and construction works.
He added that the Asaba Heartland Road, a 48-kilometre rehabilitation project valued at $48 billion, has recorded substantial progress.
He said the road features reinforced concrete pavement and extensive drainage infrastructure.
“Mr President gave us an intervention fund of about N50 billion which we paid the contractor. We raised concerns about slow pace, but we are satisfied with the quality,” he said.
The minister directed the contractor to accelerate work by implementing night shifts.
Umahi confirmed that China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, CCCC, is executing the 17.5-kilometre bypass at a cost of N179 billion and 30 per cent payment has been made. He stated that the ministry aims to have 50 percent of the project commissioned by President Bola Tinubu by April 20.
Describing the Enugu-Onitsha route as “very troubling,” the minister commended President Tinubu for revitalising the long-neglected corridor.
The project, spanning 107 kilometres (dual carriageway), was originally awarded to MTN under a tax credit arrangement valued at N202 billion.
He also stated that solar lighting installation is underway, with the first five kilometres expected to be completed within two weeks.
The minister, however, raised concerns over CCCC’s performance on the Second Niger Bridge Bypass section, citing delay and inadequate supervision.
He said the ministry would issue a letter to CCCC, copying the bank, demanding accelerated progress within 60 days or risk contractual consequences.
Umahi confirmed that CCCC has completed 61 kilometres of the Enugu-Port Harcourt highway and is finalising additional sections.
The minister ordered redesigns to include concrete shoulders and stone base with cement stabilization to prevent premature road failures.
He disclosed that the Enugu-Ebonyi road is being reconstructed by the federal government, while the Enugu State government is already dualising part of the corridor from the airport junction to the state boundary.
According to him, the project, valued at N180 billion, will be executed in phases, with the first phase expected to be completed within the year and the second phase extending into 2026.
