Cross River Appeals to FG for Urgent Repairs on Calabar-Uyo Highway

Cross River Appeals to FG for Urgent Repairs on Calabar-Uyo Highway

The Cross River State government has urged the federal government to accelerate the reconstruction of the Calabar-Uyo federal highway.

Commissioner for Commerce, Abigail Duke Orok, made this appeal during a recent visit to the Federal Controller of Works in Calabar.

The highway, which connects Calabar to Akwa Ibom State and other eastern states, has been in a deteriorating state for nearly a decade. What used to be a one-hour journey from Calabar, the capital of Cross River State, to Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, now takes a minimum of five hours.

Orok pointed out that the poor condition of the roads leading to the state capital has raised concerns among business operators and is adversely affecting the movement of goods and services in and out of the state, resulting in significant increases in transportation costs.

The state government is calling on the federal government to address critical road infrastructure issues to facilitate increased participation in this year’s International Trade Fair in November and Carnival Calabar in December.

“We request that palliative work be carried out on key access roads to encourage maximum participation from neighboring states and countries during the upcoming Trade Fair and Carnival,” Mrs. Orok stated.

She emphasized that many access roads to Calabar are in a deplorable state and nearly impassable, particularly the Calabar-Uyo, Ikom-Obudu, Bekwarra-Vandekya routes, and the Akamkpa/Biase section of the Calabar-Ikom road.

In response, the State Controller of Works, Engr. Adebisi Osim, acknowledged the issues raised and assured Orok that she would communicate the concerns to the appropriate authorities. She also mentioned that her office has been in contact with contractors working on these routes to ensure the timely completion of various projects.