The Bauchi State Government has commenced the construction of an alternative road linking the North-East and North-West regions.
The project aims to mitigate the impact of floods that destroyed major highway bridges in the state.
The statements were made on Sunday, during a media tour of the ongoing project.
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Project Manager of Habibu Engineering Company, Waelyanes Ali, described the construction as one of the toughest jobs due to the swampy terrain.
He said, “This road is 24.5 kilometres long, with about five kilometres running through swamp areas.
“We built three major bridges, measuring 225 metres, 160 metres and 145 metres.
“We also added retaining walls between one and four metres high, and several box culverts of different sizes.
“By October, Insha Allah, this project will be done. The road is 7.3 metres wide with 1.5-metre shoulders on each side. Despite the tough work, we are proud of the progress.”
Also speaking, Bauchi Commissioner for Information and Communication, Usman Muhammad, emphasized the importance of the road for regional connectivity.
“Even if you hate His Excellency, Governor Bala Mohammed, you must thank him for this project. Whenever the Kano–Maiduguri highway is blocked by floods, travellers use this road.
“It links big towns such as Azare, Hadeja in Jigawa, and even connects to Yobe,” Muhammad said.
He further highlighted the road’s economic benefits, stating, “This road is helping transport and also farming. In the dry season, people farm a lot here.
“With this road, they can carry their crops to the markets. Since the First Republic, this road was left undone because of the high cost and hard work, but Governor Mohammed has completed it.”
