Motorists and other road users in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor and its environs have continued to have drudgery experience occasioned by pot holes and gullies in the wake of the persistent rain fall that has frustrated massive road construction work in the area.
Disturbed by the complaints from the daily road users Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State had issued a directive to the relevant authority; the State Road Rehabilitation and Maintenance Agency and the construction companies to fill the gullies with hard core as an interim measure to cushion the inconvenience experienced by motorists is yet to be heeded leaving the people with their pains unabated.
As I drove to the Eleozu junction along the East-West road, Workers of the Bulletin Construction Company, the firm handling the flyover project were not at the site but the roughness of the road with gullies dotting every section encumbered movement.
Along the Rumuola road, Monier Construction Company workers were seen working with shovel, bare hands and slippers along with the asphalt laying machine discharge its content unto the rough road surface to protect it from further damage from the rains. However the gullies on the lane used by the motorists are yet to be filled. The site manager, Mr. Umana told me that the daily heavy vehicular pressure pulverize the cores or push them deep into the ground whenever the gullies were filled.
At the Ada George road axis, motorists lamented the poor state of the road with insufficient cores poured on select positions of the road. While movement at the section is done with ease the longer stretch of the road with pot holes and gullies need prompt interim attention for the required respite.
But the situation is worse at the Rivoc junction along Trans-Amadi lane, the oil mill and the Elelenwo road as the ditch at those sections created complex vehicular cluster made worse by impatience on the part of the motorists. The expected hard core is yet to be seen at that section thereby consuming productive man-hour.
The Director, Kunde- Marines, Mr. Noah Kunde said continues water log at those sections of the road created the ditch and want a ‘well meaning public drain’ be constructed linking the rivers to solve the problem. I met a situation of heated words exchange between motorists who were struggling to pull out of the ditch created.
At the Elabuchi road. The chairman of the Diobu Timber Market, Mr. Nemi- Michael Fubara said the road is cut into two halves and has hampered the Timber Market activities.
At the Elelenwo road by the Police Station and the Oil Mill junction along the Port Harcourt Aba express-way including the Rumuokwurushi road, we saw a gradual caving-in of sections of the road despite the core that has been dumped there severally.
Motorists and commuters have a similar prayer that the hard core to serve as interim measure will be seen on the gullies that frustrate smooth traffic.
