By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

The contractor handling the long-delayed Kaduna Eastern Bypass road project, Eksiogullari Construction Company Nigeria Limited, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, to urgently intervene and release funds to enable the completion of the project.

The contractor described the Eastern Bypass as a strategic infrastructure linking Kaduna State to the wider North-West region, warning that persistent funding delays have continued to stall its delivery more than two decades after it was awarded.

The appeal was made on Monday during an inspection and commissioning tour of emergency and special intervention road projects in Kaduna State by officials of the Federal Ministry of Works.

Speaking to journalists at the Chikaji Bridge section of the Eastern Bypass, the Project Manager of Eksiogullari Construction Company, Engr. Yunus Salihu, said inadequate funding remains the major challenge confronting the 22-year-old project.

Salihu explained that the Eastern Bypass, awarded in 2002 as a virgin road project, has suffered prolonged delays due to funding constraints and security challenges, despite steady progress recorded over the years.

According to him, the Chikaji Bridge, which measures about 324 metres, is the most critical structure on the corridor, noting that all the bridge pillars have already been completed.

“Once this bridge is completed, the Eastern Bypass will become fully operational. About 34 kilometres of the road have already been constructed and partially opened to traffic. What we need now is sustained funding to complete the project,” Salihu said.

He added that the technical nature of the project, which traverses hills, waterways and difficult terrain, requires consistent financial support to effectively link the bridges to the main carriageway.

The contractor appealed directly to President Tinubu and Minister Umahi to urgently intervene, stressing that the timely release of funds would finally bring the decades-long project to completion and unlock its economic and transportation benefits.

Earlier, the inspection team assessed ongoing works on the Abuja–Kaduna Highway, where contractors were observed to be fully mobilised, before proceeding through the Eastern Bypass via the Kachia Interchange and stopping at the Chikaji Bridge.

The delegation also commissioned several emergency and special intervention projects, including the rehabilitated 4.3-kilometre Taban Sani Road in Makarfi Local Government Area, the Mahuta NNPC Pipeline Road leading to the Nigerian Army Post Service Housing in Chikun Local Government Area, and the Sabo Rail Bridge Road to Command Junction.

At the Mahuta NNPC Pipeline Road, the Chief Resident Engineer, Engr. Sadiq Maccido, said safety restrictions around the pipeline limited asphalt work in some sections, although 1.2 kilometres had been successfully completed.

The Sabo Rail Bridge Road to Command Junction was also commissioned, with officials noting that the project has significantly eased long-standing traffic congestion and road failure experienced by residents.

The team further inspected the Kaduna Western Bypass, where about 19.57 kilometres of full carriageway have been completed, while other sections remain under construction.

Speaking on the Western Bypass, Jonathan Obrusu, representing the Dangote Group, said the company remained committed to delivering the project in line with federal specifications, adding that the bypass would help decongest Kaduna metropolis and improve regional traffic flow.

Other projects inspected included the 77-kilometre Pambeguwa Road, which has been completed with guardrails and safety installations and is expected to be commissioned within one month.

In Zaria, the delegation inspected the Wusasa–Turunku–Maraban Jos Road (Phase One), which has reached about 68 per cent completion. Phase Two of the project, valued at about N30 billion, has been awarded to extend the road from Pambeguwa to Jos.

The Federal Controller of Works in Kaduna State, Engr. Ulagu Loveday, said the inspection covered key corridors, including the Zaria–Funtua–Sokoto Road, where significant progress has been made on bridges, drainages and binder courses.

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement for the North-West Zone, Abdullahi Yakasai, said the exercise was in line with President Tinubu’s directive to ensure value for money and quality delivery of federal infrastructure projects.

Yakasai stressed that the Eastern and Western Bypass roads would permanently ease traffic congestion in Kaduna and boost economic activities across the North-West, while calling for urgent resolution of funding challenges delaying the completion of the Eastern Bypass.