The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has raised alarm over the growing misuse of newly constructed roads by fuel tankers and other heavy-duty vehicles, warning that indiscriminate parking is fast degrading critical national infrastructure.
Umahi sounded the warning during an inspection of the Aleto Bridge project in Rivers State, where he decried a situation in which completed sections of the road were blocked—not by moving traffic—but by stationary fuel tankers.
“No road anywhere in the world is designed for static loads,” the Minister said, stressing that prolonged parking of heavy-duty vehicles exerts damaging pressure capable of destroying even the most advanced road designs.
With the project valued at over ₦230 billion, the Minister warned that such reckless practices threaten massive public investment and called for immediate behavioural change among road users.
He, however, expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work by RCC, while commending Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ensuring sustained funding after the withdrawal of support by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited in 2025.
Umahi disclosed that the project—now redesigned with concrete pavement technology for durability—will also serve as a training ground for young Nigerian engineers under the President’s mentorship programme.
Providing timelines, he revealed that one carriageway is expected to be completed before May 25, 2026, while the first phase is slated for full delivery by August, with the second phase projected for completion within the year.
Describing the Aleto Bridge as a landmark engineering project featuring solar lighting and reinforced structures, the Minister urged Nigerians to take ownership of public assets.
“Let us protect our own. The roads are well built, but we all have a duty to preserve them,” he said.
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