By Stella Odueme
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commissioned the N280 billion Bodo-Bonny Road in Rivers State, ending a 76-year wait for the realisation of the historic infrastructure project.
The 37.9-kilometre road, originally conceived in 1950, was officially commissioned on Saturday at Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.
The project includes approximately three kilometres of bridges across the Opobo Channel, providing Bonny Island with a direct road link to Bodo and other parts of the country.
At the commissioning ceremony, the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, disclosed that Tinubu had approved an additional 8.9-kilometre dual carriageway extension to link the road with the East-West Road.
According to Umahi, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Francis Nwaze, on Sunday, the extension will provide 17.8 kilometres of reinforced concrete pavement, further improving road connectivity, reducing transportation difficulties and creating opportunities for economic development in the area.
He said the project represents a major engineering investment, with an average construction cost of about N7.4 billion per kilometre, particularly considering the extensive bridges constructed across the Opobo Channel.
The minister expressed appreciation to the President for completing the long-awaited project and approving its further extension.