Calls for Patience as Rain, Heavy Traffic Slow Reconstruction
The Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC) has appealed for patience from motorists and communities along the corridor, assuring road users that construction on the 125-kilometre highway will receive a major boost from October as the rainy season subsides.
BAECC Chief Executive Officer, Samuel Daramola, gave the assurance in a statement on Sunday, acknowledging the hardship currently being experienced by motorists while stressing that the company remains committed to delivering a durable and safer highway.
“We recognise the inconvenience that motorists and communities have experienced, and we do not take their concerns lightly,” Daramola said.
He explained that the challenge goes beyond simply reconstructing the highway, as construction teams must simultaneously keep one of the region’s busiest transport corridors open to traffic.
“Our responsibility is not only to build the permanent road but also to do everything reasonably possible to keep people moving while construction is taking place,” he said.
The project is being executed under a 36-month construction programme involving major earthworks, drainage, culverts, pavement reconstruction, carriageway expansion, asphalt works and traffic-management operations.
Billions Committed to Construction
BAECC said substantial work had already been undertaken across various sections of the expressway, including earthworks, subgrade preparation, drainage and culvert construction, asphalt and binder-course works and carriageway expansion.
The company said it had also mobilised asphalt plants, concrete batching plants, paving equipment, concrete mould plants, Wet Mix Macadam plants and other specialised machinery.
According to BAECC, billions of naira in private-sector resources have been deployed towards construction equipment, plants, materials, logistics and supporting infrastructure.
Daramola noted that some of the critical work being undertaken was not immediately visible to motorists.
“A project of this magnitude is built in stages. Before the travelling public sees kilometres of finished asphalt, there must be drainage, earthworks, pavement preparation, production plants and equipment mobilisation,” he said.
Rainfall, Traffic Pose Major Challenges
Persistent rainfall, BAECC said, has affected the pace and sequencing of some construction activities, particularly earthworks, pavement stabilisation and asphalt operations.
However, Daramola stressed that construction had not stopped.
“Where permanent pavement operations are restricted by rainfall, our teams continue with other engineering activities and palliative interventions,” he said.
The company also highlighted the difficulty of reconstructing a heavily travelled highway while maintaining traffic flow for thousands of motorists, buses, commercial vehicles and articulated trucks.
In some instances, BAECC said, sections of the road had been reopened earlier than would ordinarily be preferred from an engineering perspective to ease congestion.
“We are building and managing traffic at the same time,” Daramola explained.
“There are occasions when engineering considerations would favour keeping a section closed for longer, but the realities facing motorists require us to reopen the road.”
October Acceleration
BAECC said it was now preparing for a significant expansion of permanent construction activities from October, when improved weather conditions are expected to provide a more favourable construction window.
The accelerated works will include drainage completion, pavement reconstruction, asphalt binder and wearing-course installation, culvert construction and other permanent works across multiple sections.
More personnel, equipment and construction resources are also being mobilised for the dry-season phase.
“As the rains recede, Nigerians will see a significant acceleration of permanent works,” Daramola said.
The BAECC chief executive also assured motorists that palliative measures would continue on difficult sections to reduce immediate hardship while permanent reconstruction progresses.
“Our immediate task is to reduce the inconvenience being experienced today while remaining focused on the permanent solution,” he said.
Daramola urged motorists and host communities to view the project within its full 36-month construction programme, rather than judging its progress solely by the difficulties currently being encountered.
“We are not asking anyone to ignore the present difficulties. We recognise them and are addressing them through palliative interventions while building the permanent solution,” he said.
“What we ask for is the time and opportunity to deliver the project within the construction programme. Judge us ultimately by the quality, durability and safety of the highway we deliver.”
BAECC further pledged continued cooperation with the Federal Government, relevant agencies and host communities towards completing the project.
“The road people see during construction is not the road they will see at completion,” Daramola said.
“We ask for a little more patience and the opportunity to complete what we have started.”
