The Prosperity government of Sen. Douye Diri embarked on the construction of the Nembe-Brass Road with a commitment to complete it during his tenure as Executive Governor of Bayelsa State. Political pundits dismissed this promise as a mere vote-grabbing strategy, viewing the project as a tactic leading up to the November 2023 governorship elections. However, those who believed in the governor’s dedication to rural development in Bayelsa prayed and hoped for Sen. Diri to secure a second term, which he ultimately did. The project has been progressing ever since.
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There was much excitement and expectation as Erevision MediaTV joined the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Ministry of Information, the Bayelsa New Media, and other independent bloggers, led by Dr. Samuel Kolawole Oredipe, Director-General of Bayelsa State New Media, for a tour of the historic Nembe-Brass Road project.
While introducing the media to the project team on-site, Dr. Kola Oredipe stated that Setraco is the company handling the construction of the first phase of the 21-kilometer Nembe-Brass Road.
He emphasized the significance of the media tour, stressing that the community has been waiting for this road for over 60 years. “When they see this project, they’re excited and anticipating its completion,” he remarked.
“Beyond what they see on television or social media, many have not seen the extent of progress. That’s why we said, ‘Let’s come and see this project, so that when we talk about it, we can accurately convey the reality of this endeavor.'”
“We’re building a road on water—on creeks, on streams. What more can I say? We have demonstrated our commitment to opening up the riverine communities. It is crucial for every community to be connected by road. I assure you, we will not stop; the second phase will also continue.”
“We already have the partnership of the federal government, with Mr. President himself committed to ensuring we extend this road to Brass Island. I am confident that the engineers will provide us more details on what to expect in the coming months. This project will not suffer from funding issues. As the Governor stated, ‘We’ll take it to Brass Island,’ and that is the commitment you can expect from this administration,” he said.
During the tour, Engr. Hazem Najjar, Senior Project Manager for Setraco, described the project’s scope: the construction of the Nembe-Brass Road includes 10 bridges and 58 culverts.
The 21-kilometer stretch begins from point 0-0 at the Nembe junction and extends to St. Nicholas River, where the longest bridge is being constructed. Engr. Najjar stopped at various points along the road to provide insights into the nature of the work and progress made so far. At the time of reporting, the company had already asphalted approximately 2.4 kilometers of the road with the first layer of asphalt.
“The pavement consists of two layers of asphalt—binder and wearing. Currently, we are at the 4th kilometer, where we have completed asphalt work. We have also finished one bridge at kilometer 5, and the second bridge is located at kilometer 6.4.”
Journalists on-site observed the second layer of asphalt being poured at kilometer 4.2. “We have just laid the second layer. This work will continue until 6.4 kilometers is completed within the next week.”
Engr. Najjar informed the media that a bridge measuring 126 meters long with four spans will be built, each span measuring 51.5 meters long and approximately 9 meters high from the water level at kilometer 6.5. This bridge is the longest and of a special design, expected to take about six or seven months to complete.
“This design is unique because it involves a long bridge, approximately 126 meters, with a 31.5-meter span. We are discussing Phase 1 only. Between here and the second bridge, we have about 14 culverts where we are currently laying asphalt. Progress is ongoing, and we are working across the river with the culverts and sandfilling. In summary, from 0 to 6.5 kilometers, work is 95 percent complete. Once we reach 6.5 kilometers, we will need to cross the river to continue work.”
“Regarding the execution of the beam for this bridge, due to its length, we are preparing it inside the yard differently. We will cast it there, bind it, and then shift it for installation here. This bridge is the longest we have on this project. Once we finish this bridge, crossing will become significantly easier for everyone.”
“Currently, we are preparing for the piling wall, with a hopeful start within 20 days. We have started relocating the pile cages, and the digging machines and piles are en route. All these movements will occur before Christmas. Very soon, we will commence piling operations.”
“We will continue sandfilling as mentioned, with only about 1 kilometer left to complete all 21 kilometers with sandfill. Concrete box culverts are progressing well, with two already constructed across the river and a third one underway. In general, we have approximately 1 kilometer of sandfill remaining for this project. Concrete work is in progress, and we have no issues with funding. Our only challenge is that we are building a road on water,” he stated.
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