A major reconstruction project has begun on a badly damaged section of the Benin-Sapele Expressway, with two contractors deployed to speed up work on the 15.4-kilometre corridor.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has mobilised China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Ronin and Fan Limited to reconstruct the failed section following a directive from President Bola Tinubu.
The project was formally flagged off on Friday at the Amukpe Roundabout along the Benin-Sapele Road.
Two Contractors to Work From Opposite Ends
NDDC Governing Board Chairman Chiedu Ebie said Tinubu ordered the intervention after receiving repeated complaints about the condition of the road.
He said the poor state of the corridor had caused severe delays for motorists and disrupted movement along the route.
The commission has therefore adopted an accelerated construction strategy, with the two contractors working simultaneously from opposite ends.
“This is a 15-kilometre stretch of this alignment that we are here to deal with,” Ebie said.
NDDC Managing Director Samuel Ogbuku said the decision to deploy two contractors was deliberate and intended to shorten the project’s delivery timeline.
“We do not want to be on this site for too long,” Ogbuku said, assuring residents and road users that the commission was committed to completing the reconstruction.
Road Failures Have Hit Trade and Transport
Ogbuku said the deteriorated condition of the road had created serious economic consequences.
Vehicles carrying goods have reportedly spent weeks trapped in traffic, disrupting the movement of people and commodities along one of Delta State’s important transport corridors.
He said the intervention followed repeated appeals from residents and other road users who had struggled with the condition of the highway.
Ogbuku also praised Tinubu’s administration for strengthening the NDDC’s capacity to undertake major infrastructure projects across the Niger Delta.
Concrete Pavement Planned
NDDC Executive Director of Projects Victor Antai said the reconstruction would cover approximately 15.4 kilometres and would use rigid concrete pavement.
He said the agency would monitor the work to ensure that the contractors adhere to approved specifications and standards.
The choice of rigid pavement is expected to provide a durable road surface capable of handling the heavy traffic associated with the corridor.
Delta Government Welcomes Intervention
Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori welcomed the project, describing it as a significant intervention for transportation, commerce and the welfare of residents and motorists.
The governor, represented by Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information Charles Aniagwu, said the project demonstrated the value of cooperation between governments and public agencies in addressing infrastructure challenges.
He noted that the Delta State Government had also undertaken projects along federal road corridors because, ultimately, residents—not the ownership status of a road—bear the consequences when infrastructure fails.
Delta Lists Its Own Road Projects
Oborevwori said the state had constructed more than five kilometres of rigid-pavement dual carriageway on the Warri axis.
He also cited bridges and flyovers completed or developed along federal road corridors, including:
- Otovwodo Junction
- DSC Roundabout
- PTI Junction
- Enerhen Roundabout
- Uromi Junction in Agbor
The governor described the NDDC’s intervention on the Benin-Sapele corridor as particularly important because of its potential to improve movement along the wider East-West transport network.
Calls for More Road Interventions
Monday Igbuya, Delta’s representative on the NDDC Governing Board, commended the commission for approving the reconstruction.
He also urged the agency to consider extending its intervention to the Amukpe-Abraka-Agbor Road and the Sapele-Warri Road.
According to him, improvements on those routes would further strengthen connectivity across Delta State.
Senator Ede Dafinone and Mrs Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu also welcomed the project and commended Tinubu and the NDDC for responding to concerns over the highway.
Why the Project Matters
The Benin-Sapele corridor is more than a local road.
It is an important route for commercial traffic, passenger movement and connections across Delta State and the wider East-West corridor.
If delivered as planned, the 15.4-kilometre reconstruction could reduce travel delays, improve the movement of goods and provide relief to motorists who have endured prolonged gridlock along the failed section.