Sim To Build 6 Flyovers As Port Harcourt Ring Road Project Takes Off

Six flyovers have been lined up to be constructed as Rivers State Government flags off the construction of its most ambitious project ever, the Port Harcourt Ring Road.
According to the Commissioner for Works, Mr. George-Kelly Alabo, the flyovers along with several major roundabouts and a river crossing bridge would be located on the 50.15 kilometres of the new road that will run from UTC Junction in downtown Port Harcourt through Ogbogoro, Airport Road, Eneka, Igbo-Etche, Agbonchia to Refinery Junction, Alesa in Eleme Local Government Area.
Out of the 50.15 kiloometres, 45 kilometres will be dual carriage-way, while in a few places, the road will cut through virgin forests. The rest would be reconstructed along old but narrow roads in the five local government areas where the road will pass through.
Describing the project as a legacy and signature project, Alabo said previous administrations could not take up the challenge of constructing the road needed to decongest Port Harcourt of traffic and free the fringes of Port Harcourt for development.
He said not only would the proposed road free the capital city of traffic, it will also target the major maritime and industrial hubs that need free roads to evacuate goods and personnel.
The project will cost a whooping N195.3 billion out of which N145 billion has been paid to Julius Berger PLC, the contractors. The commissioner said the project will be delivered in June 2026
The House of Assembly had last week approved a supplementary budget of N200 billion sent to it by Governor Siminalayi Fubara to fund the construction of the Ring Road.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara said the new road would precipitate the development of new cities.
The contract was signed on behalf of the Rivers State government by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Zacheaus Adangor, Commissioner for Works, Dr. George Kelly Dakorinama Alabo and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Mrs Ebere Dennis Emenike; while the Managing Director, Dr. Lars Ritcher and Raymond Marisho, Assistant Regional Manager, signed for Julius Berger Nigeria PLC.
Fubara explained that the best time to start a project that has a completion period of 36 months is now, which is precisely why 75 percent of the contract sum of N195.3B has been released to make Julius Berger give the required urgency to the project.
The governor charged traditional rulers and youths to own the project that will traverse their various communities and to do nothing to disrupt its progress so as to avoid being suspended or prosecuted.
“It’s important that everybody should give the necessary support, because we need this project, for development to come. Initially, people will suffer some inconveniences, but at the end it will be beneficial to all,” he said.
He assured however that the Port Harcourt Ring Road project would not distract government from other critical sectors, saying the requisite infrastructure and also supporting them to deliver the best service to Rivers people.
The Managing Director of Julius Berger Nigeria PLC, Dr. Lars Ritcher noted that the company has been part of the infrastructural transformation of the immediate past administration and assured that the company will not compromise quality and timeliness in delivering the project because of the sustained confidence in them.