BY JOEL GRANDBALL
THE construction company awarded the Otovwodo flyover contract, in Ughelli, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, has commenced preliminary works on the proposed project.
The preliminary work took off with a team of engineers from the company carrying out soil sampling at the project site as part of tests to determine the soil suitability for the multi-billion-naira construction.
A senior staff of the firm, who spoke with journalists at the site on condition of anonymity, disclosed that the team was deployed from Abuja specifically for the exercise. He explained that the samples would undergo detailed laboratory analysis before major construction work would begin.
The flyover, awarded by the Delta State Government in July at a cost of over ₦39 billion, is expected to ease traffic congestion in Ughelli, a major transit hub that connects several parts of the Niger Delta region.
While optimism trailed the development, there was also anxiety among traders and transport operators in the area. Market women at the bustling Otovwodo Market expressed fears about the fate of their businesses should the project affect their stalls.
Similarly, members of the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) operating from the popular Otovwodo Motor Park voiced their concerns that the park might be demolished or relocated to give way for the construction.
“Many of us don’t know what will happen to our shops and park,” one trader remarked, adding that they would wait for clarity from government and the contractors.
“Until construction commences fully, however, it remains unclear what adjustments may be made to accommodate the market and motor park”, they said.
