REHABILITATION OF FAILED PORTIONS ON OWERRI-ONITSHA HIGHWAY COMMENCES
Succour has come the way of motorists plying Owerri-Onitsha road as the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA has commenced rehabilitation of failed portions of the road.
The road which was reconstructed by the Federal Government in two thousand and three has become a source of worry to commuters especially at Irete in Owerri west and Mgbidi in Oru west Local Government Areas of Imo State.
Owerri to Onitsha, a distance of eighty seven kilometers takes a vehicle on a controlled speed less than one and half hours to cover.
However, commuters for some time now, spend more than four hours covering same distance due to nagging failed areas at Irete and Mgbidi both in Imo State.
Some commuters and residents of the areas who spoke to Radio Nigeria said apart from incessant breakdown of vehicles, fatal accidents had been recorded at the sections that had deteriorated in the last one year.
As part of measures to facilitate vehicular movement during the yuletide, the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA has commenced rehabilitation of failed portions within the Imo State end of the Owerri -Onitsha road.
Addressing newsmen during an inspection visit at Mgbidi, the Executive Director East Operations FERMA, Mr. Buba Silas Abdullahi said South east roads like others in the country needed reconstruction considering how long they had lasted.
He explained that the Agency in line with its mandate was intervening on the failed areas to recover the road but cautioned against continuous blocking of drainages by residents to preserve the road after the work which he said would last one month.
Mr. Abdullahi said FERMA was using direct labour to execute the projects to avoid bottlenecks associated with award of contracts, noting that the Agency was targeting at all the roads leading to Owerri due to increased traffic arising from the temporary closure of Enugu Airport.
Meanwhile, commuters plying Owerri Emekuku Mbaise road linking Umuahia had continued to beckon on the State Government to carry out palliative work on the failed portions to reduce their sufferings.
The yearnings of the people recently received the attention of the Imo State Government as the state executive council last week approved the rehabilitation of the Owerri- Mbaise- Obowo road, Owerri- Okigwe road and Owerri Orlu road.
Work is expected to commence soonest at the Owerri Emekuku Mbaise Obowo road as heavy equipment used for road construction have been positioned at the failed portions of the road.
CHINAZO ILECHUKWU