Coastal road’ll be ready in 5 yrs- COREN member
By Victoria Anyaibe
A member of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) says it would take about five years to complete the proposed East-West Coastal Road, saying the project would be a catalyst for the development of the Niger Delta.
Engr. Mayne David-West stated this while speaking as a guest lecturer at the 6th annual lecture of Prof. Youpele Beredugo organised by the Port Harcourt chapter of the Nigerian Institution of Civil Engineers (NICE).
David-West said the project was divided into ten sections and awarded simultaneously to different companies to enable the contractors complete it within a period of five years. The lecture has as its theme: ‘ East-West Coastal Road : Challenges and Prospect.
The member of COREN, who said he was involved in the firm that carried out the studies and design of the proposed coastal road, however, explained that the project may span a period of ten years if contracts for the different sections of the projects are not awarded at the same time.
“It will take about five years to complete the construction of the East-West Coastal road. It was designed in such a way that the project will be divided into ten sections and awarded to different contractors.
“But if the project is not awarded to different companies, it will take up to ten years to get it completed,” David-West explained.
The expert in civil engineering expressed fears that as laudable as the project might be, the responsibility of paying the minimum wage may pose a major challenge in securing the full support of the Niger Delta governors in the proposed construction of the proposed coastal road project.
David-West said the planned 704 kilometre-road will crisscross over one thousand communities in the Niger Delta, saying due to the huge cost of the project comprising 180 bridges across river channels from Calabar to Lagos, there have been calls for alternative means of funding.
In his remarks, Prof. Beredugo said the first inaugural lecture of NICE was in 2006, with him as the guest lecturer, just he said the need for the transformation of the Niger Delta cannot be over-emphasised.
Beredugo called on the Federal Government to expedite action in the award of contract for the coastal road project, which, according to him, would transform the oil and gas rich region; while thanking NICE for honouring him in such a gorgeous manner.
