The Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has commended the contractors handling the strategic Bodo-Bonny Road (BBR) project, Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, for the good quality of engineering construction work they are doing across the country.
A press statement by the Julius Berger Media Unit, on Tuesday, said rhe commendation for the company’s qualitative works came during the minister’s inspection visit to the on-going Bodo-Bonny Road project linking the Rivers state mainland to Bonny Island widely known for its abundant oil and gas resources as well as for its rich socio-cultural history.
Minister Umahi, who also acknowledged Julius Berger’s strong commitment to good engineering construction quality during his inspection visit to the Abuja-Kano Road project a few weeks ago, said, “… Once again I can tell you, Julius Berger remains consistent in delivering topnotch quality, and is doing a great work here in the Bodo-Bonny Road project.“
According to the statement, Umahi and the Julius Berger project management experts mutually analysed some technical ideas on the project‘s ‘design ideology‘ for greater sustainability of the project to the admiration of the appreciative audience. “Significantly, the minister noted that if you pay them, Julius Berger, they will be fast with the job as you can see that they have done in the Bodo-Bonny Road project,” the statement read in part.
This is as the minister requested a confirmation of the design life of the road and shared his design ideas, even as he promised he would be back to visit the project soon, while also requesting g a further joint analysis of the design between his team and the contractors.
On his part, the Julius Berger Team Lead, Engr. Thomas Balzuweit, who received the minsiter explained that the Bodo-Bonny road was planned as an asphalt road, except the last six kilometres on Bonny Island due to extremely challenging soil conditions and expected long-term settlements of up to 30cm over a period of 30 years.
Balzuweit also explained, during a stop at Km 7, the design philosophy and construction process to the minister, juat as he expressed the company’s technical confidence that the dam would be durable once constructed.
Blueprint reports that the visit started with the minister addressing the project consultants where he emphasised the government’s desire for new roads to exchanged be constructed in concrete.
“The Bodo-Bonny Road project has a total length of 38 km road, with about 14 Km located through low-lying marshy and swampy terrain; and about 13 Km lying through a soft soil terrain.
“The project also consists of three main bridges which include the 501.5 m Afa Bridge, the 713.5 m Opobo Bridge; and the 448.5 m Nanabie Bridge.
“The Bodo-Bonny Road project also consists of nine nos. mini bridges with different length, onw pipeline crossing bridge and many culverts as well as a 6km concrete Bonny Town road with 13 nos. pipeline crossings.
Enquiries reveal that, due to extremely challenging soil conditions, multiple geological investigations were carried out by the government in order to implement the most feasible option for the implementation of the strategic project.
“Based on the design approved by the government and opinion of experts, the most feasible and officially accepted works implementation option consisted of nearly 10 million meters of vertical drains (PVD), more than 500,000 m² of geotex reinforcement, replacement of culverts with mini-bridges as well as the execution of approach bridges.
“These were all rooted in efficient considerations of cost, time and technical effectiveness and long-term durability,” the statement read in part.
