Enugu to establish new city

Enugu awards 400-kilometer road contracts to establish a new smart city, create alternative north-bound highway, and rehabilitate degraded city roads.

The projects include a 17km dual carriage way and feeder roads for the new Enugu Smart City, a 40km highway to the northern border, and rehabilitation of 71 urban roads in Enugu, the capital.

Enugu Urban Roads

Enugu Governor, Ndubuisi Mbah, directed today at the flag-off that the 71 urban road projects be delivered by December ending,.

He warned contractors that his government will neither entertain cost overruns nor delays.

“These 71 roads as identified in the first phase will be completed between now and December.

“The funds for these roads have been secured. So, there is no reason the contactors will not complete these roads as and when due.

“We are not going to entertain any variation, any delay or time overrun because the funds will be provided and we will ensure that we put in place a close monitor to ensure not only that the standards we have agreed are met, but also that the timelines are met strictly.”

Mbah also stressed that the roads must be of the highest quality standard.

“We are all making sure that the roads are well paved. We are not going to have open drainage so that pedestrian parts are well paved. We will have streetlights, and the roads will last us a long time,” he said.

The New Enugu City

The Mbah administration is expanding the State Capital by building an adjoining virgin city. He also flagged off construction of the greenfield project in Enugu today.

Construction giant, China Communication Construction Company (CCCC)  won the contract for 17km dual carriage way and feeder roads in the new city.

According to the Governor, the new Enugu City sits on 10,000 hectares of land located off the Enugu-Abakaliki highway. It is carved out from four local governments of Enugu East District, namely Enugu East, Enugu North, Enugu South, and Nkanu West LGAs.

“We are here not only to witness the construction of a road, but we are also here to witness the construction of infrastructure,” the governor said.

Accordingly, the project will be managed in two phases, he said. The first phase covers 26 square kilometers land space to be divided into three districts to be named “Happy Island,” “Vitality Bay” and an “Innovation Park.”

“In this New City, we will have a dedicated power project, a central sewage system, and high speed internet.

“There is hardly anything you will find in any modern smart city that you will not find in this City,” he said.

The company’s deputy managing director, Henry Li, assured Mbah that CCCC will deliver a quality project on schedule and within budget.

“We pledge our unwavering commitment to delivering the benchmark road on time and with the highest quality”, Li assured at the ceremony.

An alternative Northern Route

The Governor also flagged off construction of a 40 kilometer dual carriageway which will act as alternative gateway to North Central Nigeria.

The highway starts from the Governor’s hometown of Owo in Nkanu East LGA and cuts through Ubahu, Amankanu and Neke to Ikem community on the northern border.

“This … dual carriageway road is going to be a major gateway to the North Central and it is going to open our rural areas,” he said.

“Recall that we said we are going to unlock our rural economy. The best way to do that is to ensure that we have access roads to our farmlands and create special economic zones in our rural areas. But we are not thinking about agriculture as food only, but also as export commodities.”