KEY POINTS
- Minister Umahi stands for the construction of concrete roads as a flood protection measure for the vulnerable East-West Road.
- A concrete pavement delivers a lifespan of 50–100 years while asphalt pavement extends to only 10 years.
- May 2025 completion target, with sections in Delta, Ahoada, and Bayelsa under repair.
The East-West Road construction now employs concrete above asphalt in accordance with the directive of Minister of Works Senator David Umahi to achieve permanent flood resistance.
The Minister showed satisfaction about the ongoing remedial work at the Umeh community section located within Delta State.
Concrete roads to withstand flooding
During his field visit to assess roadware he declared that his ministry settled on concrete because it would raise the road elevation above expected flood levels in the region connecting Delta to Ahoada in Rivers State.
The concrete sections will survive for between 50 years and 100 years while regular asphalt roads only survive ten years according to his assessment.
The material of concrete has excellent compatibility with rainwater occurrences. Underground water will cause any asphalt installation to fail due to its base exposure.
According to Umahi the concrete material will survive between 50 to 100 years whereas asphalt expects to deteriorate within 10 years.
Government targets May 2025 completion
The first 2.5-kilometers-section operates at Umeh Market but construction of an additional 3-kilometer segment continues. The president Bola Tinubu issued orders for instant road repair after 2023 brought heavy flooding to the area.
Wetlands located throughout the East-West Road region have been properly identified. The strategy involves the creation of drainage culverts along with concrete elevation of road surface in flood-prone areas.
The contractor at Umeh currently operates on one kilometer of completed work and focuses on creating irrigation channels to channel floodwater. The contractor is currently working on flood protection infrastructure in the region toward Ahoada and Bayelsa while anticipating project completion by May 25th 2025.
Community welcomes intervention
Through his gratitude Mr. Dennis Agbakpa who serves as Chairman of Umeh community thanked President Tinubu for making necessary interventions that the area needed.
The community truly supports the efforts of Mr. President. The road elevation brings massive relief to our community and we demand the government to extend these interventions to the Umeh community road and construct a culvert system and modernize our market which experienced flooding,” Agbakpa stated.
The West African Development Company Executive Governor checked flood-mitigation improvements on all sections of the East-West Road Delta stretch to demonstrate ongoing government support for lasting flood-adaptive infrastructure construction.
