For residents, commuters and motorists navigating the Mararaba axis of Nasarawa State, the daily struggle through traffic may soon become a thing of the past as the state government races to complete its N44 billion flyover project by December 2026.

The construction has already transformed the busy Abuja-Keffi corridor into a major work zone, with commuters enduring delays, diversions and slower movement as construction activities continue.

But officials say the hardship being experienced today is expected to give way to faster and safer movement once the project is completed.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Nasarawa State Urban Development Agency, Engineer Wada Yahaya Mohammed, gave the December completion projection during an inspection of major projects in the state by journalists and the Presidential Media Team recently.

Mohammed said the Mararaba project was designed as a permanent solution to the traffic congestion that has persisted in the area despite several attempts to address it.

“What is in Mararaba is a final solution to an attempt that requires so many approaches,” he said.

The project consists of a continuous elevated road stretching about 2.6 kilometres, two pedestrian flyover bridges and five pedestrian bridges to allow residents to cross the busy corridor safely.

Unlike previous interventions, the elevated road is designed to carry through-traffic above the congested section without disrupting commercial activities at ground level.

The permanent works are estimated at almost N40 billion, while compensation for affected properties is expected to exceed N1.5 billion. Road furniture, including markings, signage and street lights, is projected to cost more than N1 billion, bringing the overall cost to about N43 billion to N44 billion.

Mohammed said the project, initially scheduled for completion within 18 months, was progressing ahead of schedule and could be ready by the end of December.

He attributed the progress to the commitment of the contractor and the state government’s prompt payment of certificates as they become due.

For motorists and residents who currently endure the consequences of the construction, the anticipated completion cannot come soon enough.

The Mararaba corridor is one of the busiest routes linking the Federal Capital Territory with Nasarawa and other parts of the North, with heavy traffic often stretching for long distances, particularly during peak periods.

Construction work has added to the congestion, forcing motorists to navigate narrowed sections and temporary diversions while heavy equipment and workers operate along the corridor.

Mohammed said the project was expected to reduce travel time between Abuja and Keffi from more than two hours to less than 40 minutes.

The Mararaba intervention is part of a broader road infrastructure programme by the state government aimed at addressing congestion and accident-prone locations.

At nearby Keffi, the state is also constructing a flyover at Total Junction following years of fatal crashes.

Mohammed said the location had claimed numerous lives, including 25 people in one particularly devastating crash, prompting the governor to seek a permanent solution.

The flyover is expected to extend for more than one kilometre after adjustments were made to the ramps to meet required gradient and headroom standards.

The state is also undertaking a four-kilometre road project in Akwanga linking the Keffi-Akwanga federal highway with the Makurdi-Jos corridor.

An approximately 600-metre underpass is also being constructed to allow traffic travelling between the southern and northeastern parts of the country to bypass the town’s central intersection.

In Lafia, the Kilema-Tudun Amba bridge and stormwater channel project is addressing another major challenge; flooding.

The N3.3 billion project replaced a triple box culvert that had become inadequate to handle the volume of water flowing from upstream during heavy rainfall.

According to Mohammed, the new 60-metre bridge and approximately 600-metre stormwater channel have ended the recurrent flooding that previously threatened lives and property in the area.

“No flooding in this area. Life is safe. Properties are secure,” he said.

Beyond road infrastructure, the inspection also covered the state’s investment in healthcare and vocational training.

At Akwanga, the former General Hospital is being converted into the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, with the first phase estimated at N6 billion.

The pioneer Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Esla Abene, said the project would provide specialist healthcare for the northern senatorial zone following the conversion of the former state-owned specialist hospital in Lafia into a federal university teaching hospital.

The first phase includes expanded obstetrics and gynaecology and paediatric services, emergency units, an infectious disease centre, central medical stores and expanded diagnostic facilities.

The radiology unit is being equipped to accommodate CT scan, MRI, mammography and digital X-ray services, while a new laboratory complex will provide facilities for major pathology departments.

The second phase will include a five-storey administrative and clinical complex housing specialist clinics, ophthalmology, dental, ENT, dialysis, endoscopy, pharmacy and other services.

A trauma centre is planned as the third phase, with the project consultant, Architect Salihu Ogyebola, saying its strategic location would make it particularly useful for responding to road accidents along major routes linking different parts of the country.

At the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational and Technology Institute in Lafia, the state is seeking to tackle unemployment by equipping young people and vulnerable groups with practical skills.

The institute, established in August 2022, has trained and certified more than 10,000 youths, women and vulnerable persons, according to its Executive Director, Dr Daniel Ewuga Asele.

It offers nearly 40 marketable skills, including welding and fabrication, motor vehicle mechanics, ICT, leatherwork, cosmetology, catering, electrical and electronics, tailoring and fashion design.

About 40 per cent of its trainees are from outside Nasarawa State, with participants coming from states including Sokoto, Oyo, Taraba, Enugu and Ebonyi.

Asele said the institute does not stop at issuing certificates but tracks graduates after training to determine whether they are applying their skills or establishing businesses.

“We train you with the clear instruction to go and establish your business,” he said.

For Mararaba residents and commuters, however, the immediate concern remains the road construction around them. Their hope is that the inconvenience of navigating the work zone will soon be replaced by the smoother journeys promised by the completed flyover.

If delivered as projected, the December 2026 deadline could mark the end of a difficult construction period and the beginning of a significantly easier commute along one of Nasarawa’s busiest corridors.