Delta prepares for ‘heavy traffic’ from Warri Port

Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa on Tuesday said the state government was accelerating completion of Ughelli-Asaba dual carriageway to accommodate expected heavy traffic from Warri Port when dredging of second part of Escravos bar would be completed.

The governor made this known at his quarterly interactive session with newsmen in Asaba and said that the Federal Government was undertaking the dredging of the Warri Port stretch.

According to him, my administration is working round the clock to complete the dualization of Ughelli-Asaba road because of its importance in the evacuation of goods from the port.

He said that in May 2015, there were some projects that his government chose as a priority and that one of them was the Ughelli-Asaba road.

He explained that the previous administration had nearly completed Section B of the project, which was divided into three phases, adding that session C, from Ossissa to Asaba, which was the area slowing down the completion of the project would be concluded between November 2019 and April 2020.

“Work has started earnestly at the Section C that is Asaba/Ogwashi-Uku/Ossissa road. All these work are being done because these roads are very critical to us.

“It is going to ease movement between Warri and Ughelli, through Asaba to Onitsha and now that our ports are gradually coming back to life and we are hoping that when the Federal Government through Nigeria Ports Authority dredges the second part of the Escravos bar, we will have many more ships coming into Delta.

“This will help to decongest the Lagos Ports and the working of the roads will come to the rescue of those who make use of the roads for conveying goods and services,” Okowa said.

He disclosed that his administration was committed to ensuring the 2019 budget got 95 percent performance.