FCTA to complete 4 pedestrian bridges within months
By Wisdom Acka
More measures to save lives and halt pedestrians accidents on highways in Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are underway as the FCT Administration (FCTA) Transportation Secretariat has commenced construction of four additional pedestrian bridges on roads in the Territory.
The new pedestrian bridges are located in Kugbo, Nyanya Park, Kitiwe Street (behind Wuse Market) and Arab Contractors Road Junction, Kubwa.
Contracts for the constructions of the overhead crossings were captured in the 2018 FCT budget and awarded to Messrs Adakhat Nig. Limited for Kugbo, Emtag Nig. Limited for Nyanya Park, Gozcon Investment Limited for Kitiwe Street and Anarock Global Services Limited for Arab Contractors Road Junction, Kubwa.
These were contained in a press statement made available to Abuja Digest Weekly recently by the Transportation Secretariat.
According to the statement, Transportation Secretary, Kayode Opeifa, during a recent inspection visit to the Kugbo site, also promised that the Administration would ameliorate hardship being experienced by commuters on the AYA-Nyanya axis due to road maintenance activities.
The statement, signed by Ifeanyi Ughamadu, the Assistant Director, Information, in the office of the Secretary, appealed to the public to be patient with government while the work lasts even as it explained that the recent gridlock on the axis was mainly due to the remediation works embarked upon by Federal Road Maintenance Agency.
The Secretary assured that the “Secretariat had put in place adequate measures to ensure free flow of traffic in all the locations where new pedestrian bridges are being constructed.”
Opeifa appealed for understanding of residents, adding that the pedestrian bridges were being built in those strategic places for public safety and convenience.
Parts of the statement read: “Officials of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency had cut off some failed portions of the road for routine repairs but left them uncovered for days, thereby obstructing free flow of traffic along the expressway.
“The Kitiwe Street Bridge is to serve as a link between the street and Wuse Market. When completed, shoppers visiting Wuse Market can park their vehicles at the Kitiwe Street Park and cross over to the market to do their business. This will in turn provide more parking spaces for shoppers and free all the roads around the market of gridlocks.
“The Nyanya Bridge, located opposite the NNPC filling station, is to serve as a link for commuters wishing to cross from the filling station side of the road to the new Nyanya Park. This will in turn reduce the gridlock often associated with the large number of pedestrians that cluster the road shoulder trying to cross the expressway.
”The Arab Contractors Road Bridge is a ‘prayer answered bridge’ as residents of the area had been hoping for the day when a bridge would be constructed across the wide expressway from the road junction.
“The construction of the four new pedestrian bridges is expected to be completed in 32 weeks from the date the contractors mobilized to sites,” the statement read.
