Samson Ezea
It seems some people are nonplussed by the jubilation andexcitement that have continued to trail the recent flag-off of the construction of the second phase of the new Nike Lake-Harmony Estate-Adoration Ministry-Emene road, linking the ever-busy Nike road and Emene suburb by Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi. But why the amazement, when it is obvious that Nike Lake road is gradually becoming another Ninth Mile Corner, Ngwo in terms of perennial traffic gridlock and others before Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration constructed a new bypass road that linked the area to Enugu old toll gate in 2016 to ease traffic flow.
It could be observed that since the reconstruction of the dilapidated Nike Lake road, Ibagwa Nike, down to Opi Nsukkajunction by the immediate past administration in the state, there has been increased traffic flow on the road and beehive of activities in the axis. This is largely due to the increasing influx of people to the area, a development that has brought about rapid property acquisition and development along the axis.Contributing immensely to the consistent traffic snarl on theNike Lake road is the impassable state of the Markurdi-Obollo-Ninth Mile-Enugu federal road which has forced motorists and commuters coming into Enugu and other Southeast and Southsouth states from the North to make a detour at Opijunction and ply the road to connect Enugu-Ontisha and Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressways.
The only solace on the road is the wise decision of the state government to bar articulated vehicles and tankers from plyingthe road. But even at that, property owners had before thereconstruction of the road built shops and houses too close to the road, there by contravening the building regulations and creating problems for road users. This development has adequately and adversely affected easy traffic flow, human movements and business patronages in that area, especially during festivities. Not even the traffic light at the junction that leads to AbakpaNike and Timber market has provided the needed traffic relief along the Nike road during peak times. Mostly affected by the persistent traffic congestion along the road, apart from commuters and motorists are patronisers of the state-owned legacy hospitality outfit, Nike Lake Resort, situated in a serene environment along the busy Nike road.
The resort, which ordinarily shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes’ drive from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Emene Enugu and 10 minutes from Enugu metropolis, now takes hours’ drive due to the consistent traffic gridlock on the Nike road leading to it.
It was as a result of these growing challenges on the Nike Lakeroad and its entire axis that made Gov. Ugwuanyi’sadministration on assumption of office in 2015 to go to drawing board in search of permanent solution to the perennial traffic gridlock on the road before it gets out of hand. That was how the government came up with idea of constructing a new Nike Lake-Harmony Estate-Adoration Ministry-Emene Road that commences almost opposite Nike Lake Resort entrance and terminates at Emene to ease traffic flow on the busy Nike Lake road.
The first phase of works on the road which is the construction of five River crossings that include culverts and bridges of various sizes that connects Harmony Estate and Adoration Ground are already nearing completion. It would also be recall that 3 kilometers of the 10.5 kilometres road, which stretched from Emene to the Adoration Ground had earlier been completed and commissioned by Gov. Ugwuanyi.
On completion of this strategic and lives impacting road project in due course, it will reduce drastically, if not eliminatescompletely the persistent traffic snarl on the Nike Lake road. It will hasten rapid and even development around the area, especially now that people are moving into there in large numbers to build and reside. Commuters and motorists plying the road from the North to other Southeast and Southsouth stateswill no longer need to get into Enugu metropolis first, before heading to their various destinations.
Even residents of Emeneand its environs coming from Nsukka, Ibagwa Nike, Isi Uzo and others need not to pass through 82 Division Junction, before heading home. Also to benefit immensely from the new roadafter completion are management and patronisers of Nike Lake Resort, residents and property owners along the axis. The road will not only open their properties for attention and patronage, it will make it to gain appreciable value.
The road which will linkthe two suburbs of Nike and Emene, will help create new residential and industrial cities in the area. This will surely change the face of Nike, Adoration Ground, Emene and its environs. This road project a is replica of the bypass road Gov. Ugwuanyi’s administration constructed at Ninth Mile Corner that has eliminated completely the age-long traffic congestion in the axis that has lasted for decades with enormous human and material loss.
But today, motorists and commuters plying the Ninth Mile road hardly witness or experience any traffic jam as they have alternative routes to avoid it depending where they arecoming from or heading to. For those heading to Ezeagu, Eke and Nsukka, and some Northern states from Enugu, the best betfor them is to make a detour after Ozungwo Comprehensive College Ngwo and drive through the rehabilitated Amankwo-Ameke-Amah junction bypass that terminates opposite Nigerian Brewery Company. Also for those driving into Ninth Mile from the North and are heading to Southeast and Southsouth states, the easy exit is the bypass road that terminates at Enugu toll gatealong Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
This is the same solution the new Nike Lake bypass road will provide for commuters and motorists in Abakpa-Emene axis. It is obvious that the new Nike Lake-Harmony Estate- Adoration- Emene road project is a continuation of Gov. Ugwuanyi administration’s quest to open up rural and urban areas with the provision of link and access road to relieve commuters and motorists’ plight and engender rapid development across the state.
