Motorists on the ever busy but deplorable long stretch of road from Obajana Junction in Kogi State to Benin City in Edo State will soon heave a sigh of relief as the federal government has commenced its dualisation.

Minister of Works, Architect Mike Onolememen, who kicked off the Lokoja-Auchi-Benin section of the project on Thursday, said work on the project would be executed in four phases: the Benin-Ehor, Ehor-Irrua, Irrua-Auchi and Auchi-Lokoja sections.

Onolememen said the project would cost N11 billion, and assured that it would be completed in 30 months.

He further disclosed that the project would be handled by the Dantata and Sowoe Construction and Reynolds Construction Company so as to meet the set target.

At Irrua, Edo State, where the minister cut the tape to signal the project's take-off, Onolememen said the project was part of President Goodluck Jonathan's infrastructural transformation agenda.

He said: "Today, we are here to witness, once again, the fulfilment of President Jonathan's economic transformation of the road sector in our country so as to effectively oil the wheels of the nation's economy.

"You will recall that in 2006, the Federal Executive Council awarded four sections of dualisation of Abuja-Lokoja road. Initially, these projects were constrained by inadequate budgetary provision which made the project linger until the establishment of SURE-P by Mr. President in January 2012. This action has injected the much needed funds required for the completion of projects, and I am optimistic that the four projects will be fully realised by March 2014."