Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is considering a mini-bridge or multi-cell culvert as a permanent solution to the washed-out section of the East-West Road at Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The company’s Regional Manager, Fredrick Wieser, disclosed this on Saturday during Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s inspection of the damaged section.
Wieser said the company was conducting surveys and hydraulic assessments to determine the appropriate structure after the road collapsed following six days of heavy rainfall.
“At present, we are only doing emergency work to enable traffic to flow. We are already on the ground carrying out a survey, and our design team is already working on the design,” he said.
He said the permanent solution would either be a mini-bridge or a multi-cell culvert, depending on the outcome of the hydraulic assessment.
See more Punch stories on Google.
“It will either be a mini-bridge or a multi-cell culvert. That means three or four cells. Based on the hydraulic calculations, it will be decided how many culverts need to be constructed,” Wieser said.
Oborevwori said the state government was ready to fund the permanent remedial works, adding that restoring traffic remained the immediate priority.
He said heavy rainfall had caused a large volume of water from different parts of Agbarho to pass through the area, creating hydraulic pressure that contributed to the road failure.
The governor said he contacted Julius Berger immediately after the collapse because of its experience in handling such emergencies.
“When I saw what happened as a result of the rainfall, which continued for about six days, and the place collapsed, I immediately called Julius Berger, knowing that they are very competent in this kind of intervention, to move in,” he said.
Oborevwori said the company had assured the state that the affected section would be temporarily restored to allow traffic to flow on both lanes.
He described the East-West Road as a major economic route linking Delta with Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
“This is the only road that leads to Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River. It is a major road; that is why it is called East-West Road,” he said.
The governor also urged Nigerians not to politicise the hardship caused by the road collapse, saying efforts should focus on finding solutions for motorists and residents.
“When people are in difficult times and facing challenges, we are supposed to support them and show empathy, rather than exploit the situation,” he said.