“The Nigerian government has constructed a 37.5 kilometer access road to the Gurara multipurpose dam beginning from Kateri along Abuja-Kaduna expressway to the dam site,” the Minister of Water Resources, Sarah Reng Ochekpe announced this while inspecting the road recently.
According to her, another seven kilometres access road is under construction to connect the Kenyi communities to the dam site with completion dates for the two roads slated for March, 2014. She also revealed that the purpose of the roads is to ease transportation system for the benefiting communities as well as for clients to make use of the Gurara multipurpose dam.
The Minister further stated that the dam is a multipurpose dam which has more than three million cubic metres of water, irrigation facilities, hydro power facilities with water transfer to the Lower Usuma dam, fisheries and tourism potentials; reiterating that for all the facilities to be put to use, there is need for additional infrastructure like roads.
Ochekpe further said that the roads were earmarked to serve the communities in the area and those people who will come to the area to do business, especially those interested in commercial farming, tourism and other social activities at the dam site. She noted that the Vice President, Mohammed Namadi Sambo is expected to inspect the projects after which President Good luck Jonathan would commission some of the facilities.
“We expect you to deliver in March because I am coming with the Vice President at the end February to inspect these. Thereafter, the President will commission most of the completed facilities,” She said.
In his remarks, the Project Manager of SALINI Construction Company, Riccardo Lumbardo said that the 37 km road has about eleven culverts built with approved materials. Adding, the work is controlled by geologists and laboratory scientists. He assured the Minister of their intention to complete the roads before the end of the stipulated month of March.
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