Residents in Ekehuan Road axis of Benin City have heaved a sigh of relief and comfort as the road dualization project in the area has continued amid efforts to contain the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, with the return of the contractor to the project site.

This project is the major road leading to site of the Benin River Port project in Benin City.

In a statement, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, said the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration is not taking chances in fast tracking work on the road project in fulfilment of his promises on infrastructural and urban renewal.

He said, “The state government is hard at work in its drive for urban renewal and infrastructural development programme in the state. That is why contractors working on the Ekehaun road dualization project were asked to return to site while workers on the field observe the directives to check the spread of COVID-19.”

“There is massive construction work ongoing at the project site with focus on the side drainages. The plan is to ensure that the contractors complete work on the drainage before the heavy rain set in.”

Osagie said, “We are not allowing the coronavirus pandemic affect major projects across the state. This is geared towards ensuring that we provide the right infrastructure to drive the post-COVID-19 economy in the state. Ekehuan dualization road project is one of the key milestones for the realisation of the Benin River port project and opening up of Ekehuan axis of the state to development.”

“We have commenced evaluation exercise for top bidders for the provision of Transaction Advisory (TA) Services for the Benin City River Port Project, in Gelegele, and this has necessitated the need to speed up work on the Ekehuan dualization road project,” he added.