Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has commenced emergency repairs on the failed section of the East-West Road in Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, following the collapse of the road after several days of heavy rainfall.
The construction company is also assessing options for a permanent reconstruction of the affected section, with a mini-bridge or a multi-cell culvert being considered.
Julius Berger Regional Manager, Fredrick Wieser, disclosed this during an inspection of the damaged road by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori on Saturday.
Wieser explained that the company was carrying out surveys and hydraulic assessments to determine the most suitable structure for the permanent repair.
He said the immediate intervention was focused on restoring traffic, while the design for the long-term solution was being developed.
According to him, the final design would depend on the results of the hydraulic assessment, which would determine whether a mini-bridge or a culvert with three or four cells would provide adequate passage for water.
The road section reportedly gave way after about six days of heavy rainfall, with large volumes of water flowing from different parts of Agbarho and putting pressure on the road infrastructure.
Oborevwori said the state government was prepared to finance the permanent remedial work, but stressed that reopening the road for motorists was the immediate concern.
The governor said he contacted Julius Berger shortly after the collapse because of the company’s experience in emergency road interventions. He added that the company had assured the state that the damaged section would be temporarily restored to enable traffic to move on both lanes.
Oborevwori described the East-West Road as a critical transport route connecting Delta State with Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
He also appealed against turning the disruption caused by the road collapse into a political issue, urging stakeholders to focus on easing the difficulties faced by motorists and communities affected by the incident.
