The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has given China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) October deadline to complete the collapsed New Artisan Bridge on the Enugu-Portharcourt Expressway.

The directive is contained in a statement issued by Mr Uche Anichukwu, the Senior Special Assistant on External Relations to Gov. Peter Mbah, and made available to newsmen in Enugu on Monday.

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Anichukwu quoted the minister to have given the directive when he, along with the governor, inspected some key Federal Government’s (FG) projects in the state.

“I have been here more than 10 times since the collapse of the bridge.

“The governor went to see Mr President, who directed immediate work on the bridge.

“This work is being done by CCECC. I must commend them very highly for the quality of work and speed.

“This is the speed that Enugu governor desires and he is also very happy with this.

“I am giving them October 2024 to deliver this project,” the statement quoted Umahi to have said.

It further stated that the minister said that due to the paucity of funds, FG would allow the Enugu State Government to complete the remaining part of the 61km-road, starting from Naira Triangle based on FG’s Highway Development Management Initiative.

This, the statement added, was purely on Public Private Partnership arrangement.

It further quoted the minister to have commended Mbah for his administration’s strategic efforts and partnership with the President Bola Tinubu’s administration to ramp up infrastructure development in the state.

Anichukwu explained that Umahi affirmed his commitment to completing the remaining sections of the Enugu-Onitsha and Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway as well as the dualisation of the Enugu-Abakaliki Road.

He also quoted Mbah as commending FG’s commitment in addressing the challenge of road infrastructure in the South-East.