Julius Berger Nigeria Plc has revealed that the Bodo-Bonny Road project, awarded in 2014, would have been completed earlier if not for contractual differences.

The company, however, assured its commitment to completing the remaining sections using advanced concrete technology and state-of-the-art equipment.

The federal government and Julius Berger Nigeria Plc were locked in prolonged negotiations over the Bodo-Bonny Road project, culminating in an April directive giving the company until the end of 2024 to complete the work.

The ultimatum followed Minister of Works David Umahi?s rejection of the company?s N28 billion variation demand on the 82% completed project, with the government offering N20 billion instead.

According to former Permanent Secretary Yakubu Kofarmata, the N199.923 billion contract was initially scheduled for completion by December 2023, with a clause barring further variations.

The 39-kilometer road, the first to connect Bonny Island to the rest of Rivers State by land, remains a critical infrastructure project.

Umahi then, warned that if the contractor failed to accept the government?s terms and resume work, the earlier 14-day ultimatum which had already expired would be reactivated.

However, Emmanuel Isibor, Manager of Media Relations for Julius Berger, revealed in a statement on Tuesday that workers were seen last week finalizing concrete pavements on both sides of the major road into the island.

He said the company is constructing state-of-the-art concrete roads inside the oil-rich Island which constitutes the terminal section of the ongoing Bodo-Bonny Road project in Rivers State.

He noted that last week, workers were seen busy on-site putting final touches to the concrete pavements on both sides of the major road into the Island, while others were busy laying reinforcement gauze, and later mixed concrete on the main road.

He added that all through, Julius Berger site workers were seen constructing rigid concrete pavements and roads using specialized international equipment from Wirtgen, Germany.

The statement reads in part: ?With an array of equipment ranging from, Mobile concrete batching plant, Concrete mixer, Concrete pumps, Concrete pavers to Concrete boom placer, the workers were busy on the job last week.?

?He quoted the Project Manager, Tim Nippert, as saying ?We are building about 5.50km of concrete roads with pavements on this Island. The last 5.50km on this Island will have its roads and pavements built on concrete.

?Due to the extremely challenging soil conditions on the main Bodo-Bonny Road and expected long-term settlements of up to 30cm over a period of 30 years, the contract for the job did not ask for concrete construction on the Road except for the Island roads.

?This is an innovative approach to modern-day construction. We are happy with what we are seeing here on this Island. Even the progress on the road from Bodo across Afa Creek Bridge and Opobo Bridge across Opobo Channel and Nanabie Creek Bridge to this point on the Island, we are excited.

?Julius Berger is doing great on this road,? retorted a community leader and Chairman of the Bodo-Bonny Road Project Peace Committee, Chief O. R. Longjohn, last week.

?Bonny Island roads are part of the Bodo-Bonny Road project contract awarded to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc in 2014. But for contractual differences, the project would have been delivered,? it added. (The Nation)

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