Julius Berger Nigeria Plc is considering constructing a mini-bridge or multi-cell culvert to permanently fix the collapsed section of the East-West Road at Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The company’s Regional Manager, Fredrick Wieser, disclosed this on Saturday during Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s inspection of the damaged section.
Wieser said the contractor was conducting surveys and hydraulic assessments to determine the most suitable structure for the location.
He said emergency repairs were currently being carried out to restore traffic while the permanent design was being developed.
“At present, we are only doing emergency work to enable traffic to flow. We are already on the ground carrying out a survey, and our design team is already working on the design,” Wieser said.
He said the permanent solution would either be a mini-bridge or a multi-cell culvert, depending on the results of the hydraulic assessment.
According to him, the assessment will determine whether three or four culvert cells, or another structure, would be required to handle the volume of water.
Oborevwori said the state government was prepared to fund the permanent remedial work, but stressed that restoring traffic remained the immediate priority.
He said the road collapsed after six days of heavy rainfall, which sent large volumes of water from different parts of Agbarho through the area.
The governor said he immediately contacted Julius Berger because of the company’s experience in handling emergency road interventions.
Oborevwori said the contractor had assured the state that the damaged section would be temporarily restored to allow traffic to move on both lanes.
He described the East-West Road as a major economic route connecting Delta with Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states.
The governor also appealed to Nigerians not to politicise the hardship caused by the road failure, urging stakeholders to focus on finding solutions for affected motorists and residents.
“When people are in difficult times and facing challenges, we are supposed to support them and show empathy, rather than exploit the situation,” he said.
