Construction of new pedestrian circulation system underway
By Ifeanyi Ughamadu and Pamela Anyaele
Work has commenced at the various locations earmarked for pedestrian circulation system in various parts of Abuja.
Pedestrian circulation system is a facility that connects one street to another, one district to another and one community to another. They come in form of culverts, paths, bridges – where there is a stream.
When completed, walking within neighbourhoods will be a lot more pleasurable and stress-free due to absence of vehicular interference along the routes.
The sites for the pedestrian circulation systems are located in Zones 5 and 6 of Wuse District and Agadez Street in Wuse 2.
The one in Zone 5 near Unique World Garden by Senanga / Algiers Streets will connect both motorcyclists and pedestrians to Zone 2 while the works at Zone 6 covers the construction of culverts, bridge and walkways to link Iringa Street/Kalemies Street and Cotonou/Tunis Street.
The contract is part of six Lots earmarked for development in the 2018 budget. While one Lot is presently being executed by M/S Jidsma Nigeria Ltd, four lots are currently under procurement. The last Lot, which is above ministerial threshold, was sent to Bureau For Public Procurement (BPE) before being transmitted to Federal Executive Council (FEC). The completion time for the Lot under construction is eight months.
Speaking on why the development of this important facility is coming now, Assistant Director, Logistics and Design in FCT’s Transportation Secretariat, Engineer Joseph Akinteye, said they were left out in the early days’ physical infrastructural development of the city because they were not the immediate needs of the city then.
He recalled that even the few that were developed then were underutilized and the facilities vandalised while the pathways earmarked for the system were encroached upon by property developers.
The Assistant Director stated that some of the badly vandalised ones are being rehabilitated with improved designs to accommodate street lights and landscaped pathways.
He assured FCT residents of improved lease of life when these facilities are completed and put to use.
