The 2nd River Niger bridge would finally be ready for use in October this year as the project has attained 93 per cent completion.
Similarly all major civil works on the project ended on Saturday when the Minister for Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed paid an inspection visit to the bridge.
According to the minister ” this is a very significant day in the life of this project, the second Niger Bridge, and this is the most iconic project in the country at the initial cost of N205 billion.
“Today we have been able to fund this project up to N157 billion and the significant thing today is that the two ends of the bridge have been linked up together and this is the final and finishing touch of the project
“I can now report to Mr President that I have seen where N157 billion spent on this project has gone to and this project has given jobs to more than 80,000 persons and it would go a long way in easing traffic and also improve commerce , industry and the economy of the people of the South East and South South.
The project is being funded partly through the Infrastructural Development Fund used in also executing Ibadan and kaduna Express ways projects but the most advanced among these projects is the 2nd Niger Bridge
Also speaking on the project the Director Nigerian Sovereign Investment Agancy (NISA), Mr Uche Orji said that the project is being funded by the agency and the Federal Government adding that most of the funds came from the Abacha loot which was put to use in executing capital projects across the country.
At the Onitsha – Owerri interchange the the Controller Federal Ministry of Works, Engr. Adeyemo Ajani said that the first phase of the project which is the interchange has got to its conclusion.
He added that the road is 46.9 km linking the Asaba end of the 2nd Niger bridge to Onitsha.
Ajani noted that the interchange was aimed at decongesting the old Onitsha -:Owerri high way but lamented that the project would have been ready before now but for the soil quality of the area.
The 2nd Niger bridge contract was awarded by the Good luck Jonathan regime with two toll gates at the Asaba and Onitsha end which has also been completed by the contractor Julius Berger Constriction Company.
