The Federal Government has said the rehabilitation of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway was suspended due to security threat after the March 2022 train attack.

The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Hon. Umar Ibrahim El-Yakub, made the disclosure during the inspection of the road to Kaduna eastern bypass.

In a statement on Friday by the Director Press and Public Relations, Blessing Lere-Adams, El-Yakub said contrary to the speculation that the contract was abandoned, work would soon resume due to improved security on the road.

Daily Trust reports that the motorists had decried the state of the first section of the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway which links Abuja to Kaduna State.

“Palliative work was being done after it was discovered that the road had deteriorated due to the effect of rainfall. Work will soon resume fully on the road because of the obvious improvement in the security in the area,” the minister said

He however said contractor had been working on the second and third sections of the road, adding that work had reached appreciable level and the project would be delivered on schedule.

He said, “We are still optimistic that sections two and three of the road will be finished between now and first quarter of next year. However, section one will be longer than that for obvious reasons.

“Work on the three sections were moving simultaneously before the train attack and over 50 per cent of the work on Section 1 was achieved before the contractor suspended the work due to the security problem.”

Speaking on the progress of work at the eastern bypass in Kaduna, the minister lamented that the contract which was awarded by the previous administration in 2002 was neglected until the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration came on board.

He disclosed that the bypass has a total of 10 bridges: four land bridges, five river bridges and one bridge over the railway line.

The minister reassured Nigerians that maximum attention would be given to the work on the road to ensure its completion as soon as possible noting that no administration had committed so much effort and resources to infrastructure, including road, rail, airport, health or digital communication like the present one. (Daily Trust)