Rivers awards contract for N9.5 b Woji-Port Harcourt refinery link road

The Rivers State Government has awarded contract for the construction of Woji-Aleto-Alesa  -Port Harcourt Refinery road to Messrs Rafoul Nigeria Limited. The link road will cost N9.5 billion.

The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim,  said approval for the contract was given during the State executive council meeting presided over by Governor Nyesom Wike.

According to him, approval of the project was in recognition of the infrastructural blue print of the Rivers State Government and its urban renewal programme.

He said the project would reduce the traffic usually experienced at the Akpajo junction along the East West Road, and  ease travel time and create employment for Rivers indigenes.

“This project will enhance municipality expansion as it will open the State to a vast expanse of land that can be used for industrial and estate developments in the near future. There will be an arithmetic increase in the ground rent revenue and taxes in the area in the near future.

“The Road will also open a corridor which will  lead to the Onne Port, Indorama and the Port Harcourt Refinery and have a far reaching strategic advantage in the short, medium and long term. Hundreds of Rivers State indigenes will be engaged and employed throughout the duration of the project.

“It will reduce the traffic build up usually experienced at the Akpajo junction along the East West road and travel time to Khana, Gokana, Tai, Okrika and Ogu/Bolo Local Government Areas will be shorter,” he said.

The Commissioner added that the approval of the  project was another demonstration of the people-oriented and visionary leadership of the Wike administration.

He noted that already the present government has carved a niche for itself in terms of infrastructure, emphasizing that the Woji-Aleto-Alesa to the Port Harcourt Refinery Road project is another landmark project.

Similarly, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Special Projects, Dax George Kelly said the road would be of immense socio-economic value to the State.

He said the 6.5 kilometer Road would start about 400 meters from the Woji Bridge and will have 200 meters of high span bridge across the creek and terminate at the Refinery .

“The Road will start about 400 meters from the existing Woji Bridge and then 200 meter of high span bridge across the creek and move into the virgin forest  up to Aleto in Alesa community Eleme LGA to terminate at the Refinery.

“The road is 6.5 kilometers long and is a dual carriage. It will have asphaltic pavement concrete covering about 13 kilometers and the total width is about 20 meters, median inclusive.

“Both sides of the road will also have walkways of 1.5 meters each and drains of 1.2  by 0.5 meters spanning across the entire length of the road,” he stated.