FG, Benue Plan to Expand Makurdi Flyover to dual Carriage as Construction Hits 69.87% Completion

The proposed expansion of the Wurukum Flyover will increase road capacity and ease traffic congestion, but the revised design is still awaiting approval.

The Federal Government and the Benue State Government are planning to expand the Wurukum Flyover in Makurdi into a dual carriageway on both sides of the bridge to ease traffic congestion and improve vehicular movement.

The Federal Controller of Works in Benue, Mukaila Danladi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Makurdi, saying the proposed expansion followed a request by Governor Hyacinth Alia to increase the bridge’s capacity.

According to Danladi, the request has necessitated a review of some components of the ongoing project, with construction under the revised design expected to proceed after the necessary approval.

He explained that the original design provided for a total width of 11 metres, comprising two carriageways measuring 3.65 metres each, a 0.7-metre walkway and a 0.4-metre median.

Under the proposed design, each side would have a carriageway width of 10.3 metres, with a one-metre median.

The expansion is expected to provide additional road space and improve traffic flow around the busy Wurukum Roundabout, a major traffic junction in the Benue State capital.

More Traffic Diversions Expected

Danladi acknowledged that ongoing construction had affected movement around the area, urging motorists and residents to remain patient and comply with traffic instructions.

“Immediately the review is approved, we would want to introduce some diversions around that location,” he said.

He explained that some earlier diversions had been removed to ease movement, but additional traffic diversions could be introduced when work on the expansion begins.

The controller said the project had reached 69.87 per cent completion, adding that the flyover was incorporated into the original road contract at the request of the Benue State Government.

He noted that the proposed design changes had slowed work on some affected components but expressed optimism that construction would gather pace as the rainy season waned.

How the Wurukum Flyover Project Started

The Federal Government officially flagged off construction of the Wurukum Flyover on September 15, 2025, as part of the second phase of the Makurdi–9th Mile Road dualisation project.

At the ceremony, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, described the flyover as a gift to Benue State from President Bola Tinubu.

Umahi said the broader road project was expected to improve transportation and stimulate economic activity across Benue, Enugu and other parts of the region.

Governor Alia, who represented the president at the flag-off, said the road would facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and strengthen transport links between Nigeria’s North-East, South-East and South-South regions.

The project’s lead consultant, Adam Onundi, said the Makurdi–9th Mile dualisation was divided into five sections covering approximately 250.6 kilometres, in addition to the 15.8-kilometre Lafia Bypass.

The Wurukum Flyover forms part of the first section of the Makurdi–9th Mile stretch.

Makurdi–Enugu Road Works Progressing

Providing an update on the wider road project, Danladi said construction was progressing satisfactorily along the Makurdi–Otukpo–9th Mile–Enugu Road.

He said work had reached the layer preceding asphalt surfacing on approximately 150 kilometres of the roughly 250-kilometre road, while the final asphalt surface had been completed on about 87 kilometres.

The controller urged motorists and other road users to obey traffic instructions and cooperate with construction teams operating along the route.

While the proposed expansion promises additional capacity around the Wurukum Roundabout, its implementation remains subject to approval of the revised design.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)