Abuja — Residents of Abuja are unanimous in their opinion that the Federal Government have to quickly intervene so that the incessant traffic jams along Kubwa and Airport road expressway in the Federal Capital Territory would become a thing of the past.

Umar Malami, a resident of Kubwa Phase IV, said the expansion of Kubwa road as part of measures to solve the problem cannot be over-emphasised. " I leave my house by 5.30am to beat the hold-up and stay in the office till 9pm to avoid the heavy go-slow"

"There are so many things that can solve the problem, but the most important thing is that government has to come in; the road has to be expanded. The barrier demarcating the lanes has to be constructed to stop people from manoeuvring from one lane to the other during the rush hours.

"Because there is no barrier, you see them manoeuvring from one lane to the other. When motorists discover that they have passed our point and there are no security agents ahead, you see them swerving to different lanes. Based on that, the government has to do a lot and all these intersections have to be covered, it has to be blocked so that there is no crossing."

The challenge of the traffic congestion along both expressways will however soon become a thing of the past as work on the roads has commenced with flag of the expansion of the roads into multiple lanes.

The project involves the expansion of the expressways to 10 lanes respectively and the rehabilitation of the existing expressways.

The two hundred and fifty seven billion Naira contract, which was awarded to three construction companies, will ensure that culverts and pedestrian crossings are properly situated.

The Minister of FCT, Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero, said that the rehabilitation / expansion of the Airport and Kubwa Expressway, respectively would be completed on or before November 2011.

In his speech at the occasion, FCT Minister, Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero, recalled that on assumption of office last December, the chaotic traffic situation on the Airport and Kubwa roads had already reached an alarming proportion. "This prompted us to immediately endorse and support the previous and continuous effort geared towards their expansion and rehabilitation in accordance with the Abuja Master Plan," he said.

Aliero disclosed that the total cost of the project is N257 billion and said that through rigorous and transparent procurement process, three well tested and competent companies emerged as the winning contractors for the projects. Messrs Julius Berger, he explained, will execute the two lots of the Airport Expressway project, while Messrs Dantata and Sawoe and Messrs CGC Nigeria Limited, will execute Lot I and Lot II of the Outer Northern Expressway (Kubwa Expressway) projects, respectively.

Aliero, who claimed that the project is the first of its kind in this part of the continent, also disclosed that the contracts also provide for the construction of interchange bridges. These bridges will be constructed around the Kubwa, Dutse/Bwari, Katampe Extension and Barracks/IBB Golf Course Junctions, along the Outer Northern Expressway, as well as around the Kuje and Lugbe Junctions along the Airport Expressways.

The introduction of the toll gates according to the FCT Minister will be in conformity with other modern cities across the world as it is going to be operated electronically where motorists would have to use electronic cards.

This formula would ensure that the project is not abandoned since the contractors are partly funding the project with private money. Stating this the FCT Minister stated that "this is a unique formula that could pave the way for future project execution in this recession -prone era that we are witnessing in Nigeria and the rest of the world economies".

Conservationists however argue that contrary to the policy of planting two trees for every tree felled, no effort was made to replace the felled ones. But Abdulahi Idris Zuru, Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) to the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Alhaji Adamu Aliero said the Abuja Parks and Gardens is already nursing seedlings that would be used to replace the felled trees when the road construction is completed. Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister, Sam Kargbo, further explaining the gains of the road expansion said "From the onset, the master plan of Abuja made provision for that high way to have ten lanes. That is what the master plan envisaged and that is why the development along those roads. You can see the wide expanse and that is for development. Petrol stations along the way are far in because they know the road will be ten lanes".

"The first issue discussed was the trees and arrangements have been made to replace the fallen trees. The various departments such as Forestry, Parks and Gardens are involved, a committee has been constituted to start the process of nursing the trees that would be planted immediately after the construction of the road.

"Contingency arrangements were made to replace these trees. Some are saying that because of the trees the road should not have been expanded. Of course, even when the project was flagged off by Mr. President, he made it clear that yes there is concern about the trees but there are contingencies to replace them. All over the world, environmental issues are not trivialized. We would replace the trees with better trees and even that on Kubwa road. We are talking of road that would be built to world class standard which can be compared with quality roads elsewhere."