The Nasarawa State Government is investing between N43 billion and N44 billion in the ongoing Mararaba flyover and elevated road project, a major infrastructure intervention expected to transform transportation and stimulate economic activities between the Federal Capital Territory and Nasarawa State.

The project, which is expected to cut travel time between Abuja and Keffi from more than two hours to less than 40 minutes, is designed to ease one of the busiest transportation corridors linking the FCT with Nasarawa and other parts of the country.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nasarawa State Urban Development Agency, Mohammed Wada, disclosed the project cost during an inspection by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors media team as part of a tour of federal and state government projects in Nasarawa and Benue states.

Wada said the permanent works alone would cost almost N40 billion, while compensation for affected property owners was estimated at more than N1.5 billion. Road furniture, including road markings, signage and streetlights, would add more than N1 billion to the cost.

“At the end of the project, we are expecting about N43 to N44 billion as a total cost of the project. And that will enhance the economic activities of the area and the entire Nasarawa State,” he said.Mararaba Flyover and Elevated Road Project Under Construction

The project comprises a 2.6-kilometre continuous elevated road, two pedestrian flyover bridges and five pedestrian bridges. It is intended to tackle persistent congestion and improve safety along the Abuja-Keffi corridor.

The infrastructure is also expected to strengthen the movement of people, goods and services between Abuja and Nasarawa State, while improving access to Keffi and communities beyond the state.

With the Abuja-Keffi corridor serving as a major gateway between the FCT and parts of North-Central and other regions, the reduction in travel time is expected to lower transportation delays, improve logistics efficiency and support businesses that depend on the movement of goods and commuters.

Before the flyover project, the Mararaba roadside market was a major source of both commercial activity and traffic problems along the Abuja–Keffi corridor.

Trading was heavily concentrated along the roadside, with shops, stalls and informal commercial activities operating close to the Abuja–Keffi highway.

The market generated significant pedestrian and vehicular activity, as traders, customers, commercial vehicles and commuters competed for limited road space.This contributed to the chronic traffic bottleneck around Mararaba, with congestion becoming a daily occurrence.

The congestion was particularly severe around the Mararaba Building Material Market/market axis, where the concentration of businesses and roadside activity made movement difficult.

Importantly, the market was not simply a problem to be removed. It was an established economic centre. The challenge was how to separate through-traffic from local commercial activity.

Wada said the project was conceived as a permanent solution to the recurring congestion and safety problems in Mararaba after several previous interventions failed to provide lasting relief.

“We attempted to solve the problem in Mararaba severally, but at the end of the day, His Excellency the Governor came up with the final solution,” he said.

He explained that the continuous elevated road would allow traffic to pass over the most congested section without disrupting business activities in the area.

The project has also been justified on the repeated accidents and loss of lives.

“This place has consumed a lot of life and destroyed a lot of properties because of the alignment of the location,” he said.

According to him, the area had recorded several fatal crashes, including an incident in which 25 people were killed at once.

He said the flyover was initially designed to be between 900 metres and one kilometre long, but the ramps were extended beyond one kilometre to meet the required headroom and gradient specifications following adjustments to the bridge alignment.

Beyond easing congestion, the project is expected to improve the commercial attractiveness of Mararaba and open up Keffi to greater business activity by making movement between the two locations faster and more predictable.