Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has pledged that the Koka flyover and interchange project, which is now under construction in Asaba, the state capital, will be finished by the end of 2022.

Speaking soon after the project was inspected, the governor promised to cooperate with the contractors to guarantee its timely completion.

The capital of Delta State is home to the second flyover.

In order to relieve traffic congestion near the Koka Junction of the road, the state government started building a flyover along the Benin-Onitsha Expressway last year.

“With the explanations we have received, a lot of work is already being done. The contractors started working here a few weeks ago,” he stated.

We can see that the drilling work is underway and that the workers are already casting the beams, which is a positive indication of the contracting firm, CCECC, trying to work ahead of schedule.

According to what we’ve been informed, they’ve cast 30 of the 96 beams they needed and dug 16 of the piles they needed to drill, so the job is moving along.

The delivery date they have given us is January 2023, but I have already informed them that I am uncomfortable with that since I would want to have the project launched within my tenure.

We are trying to set up a procedure that will allow them to work day and night to expedite the project since there will be a lot of campaigns in January 2023 and we might not have time to discuss the inauguration of projects.

“I think they can definitely complete the interchange this year so that it doesn’t carry over into next year, given the caliber and capability of the contractors.

“It is imperative to ensure an early finish to avoid a chaotic situation here as the dualization from Ogwashi-Uku to Ibusa and Asaba will definitely put pressure on this interchange when it is completed in the coming months,” he said.

While expressing gratitude to the contractors for their work thus far, he hoped that they would pick up the pace to make up for any time missed over the holiday season.

He said that his administration will continue as planned in order to have the project completed by the end of the year.
“I hold great affection for each and every one of our initiatives, including this one, and we will keep visiting new ones. One nice thing about the inspection of projects is that it gives you first-hand information of what is being done and you are able to ask questions from both the ministries and the contractors and they are able to give you timeframes and what they aim to achieve.

Thus, inadvertently, I am also exerting pressure on the ministry and the contractor to complete the job not just on schedule but also with high-quality work, which is what matters most to me.

The governor declared, “Even though I play politics, I won’t forget that Deltans voted for me to serve them. As a result, until the very last day of May 28, 2023, I will focus on that aspect of service to the people and I will not allow politics to distract me.”