Benue and FG to Upgrade Makurdi Flyover to Dual Carriageway

The federal and Benue state governments are set to expand the Wurukum Flyover in Makurdi. They plan to turn it into a dual carriageway on both sides of the bridge. This move aims to ease traffic around the busy roundabout.

Mukaila Danladi, the Federal Controller of Works in Benue, shared this news in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Makurdi.

Mr Danladi explained that the expansion follows a request from Governor Hyacinth Alia. The governor wants to increase the bridge’s capacity to help with vehicle movement.

He mentioned that this request has led to a review of some parts of the current project. The new design will be put into action once it gets the necessary approval.

The flyover was originally designed with a total width of 11 metres. This includes two carriageways of 3.65 metres each, a 0.7-metre walkway, and a 0.4-metre median.

The new design will widen the carriageway to 10.3 metres on each side and include a one-metre median. Mr Danladi said this expansion will create more road space and improve traffic flow around the Wurukum Roundabout.

He acknowledged that construction has caused traffic problems in the area. He urged drivers and residents to be patient during this time.

"Once the review is approved, we will introduce some diversions around that location," he said.

He added that some earlier diversions had been removed to help with traffic, but more diversions might come when the expansion work starts.

According to Mr Danladi, the project is currently 69.87 percent complete. He noted that the flyover was part of the original road contract requested by the Benue State Government.

He pointed out that the proposed changes have caused delays in some areas of the project.

Mr Danladi believes that construction will speed up as the rainy season comes to an end. The federal government kicked off the construction of the Wurukum Flyover on 15 September 2025. This was part of the second phase of the Makurdi, 9th Mile Road dualisation project.

At the launch event in Makurdi, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, called the flyover a gift to Benue State from President Bola Tinubu. Mr Umahi added that the larger road project is expected to boost transport and increase economic activities in Benue, Enugu, and other areas in the region.

Governor Alia, who started the project on behalf of the president, stated that the road will help move agricultural products and strengthen links between Nigeria’s North-east, South-east, and South-south regions.

Adam Onundi, the project’s lead consultant, mentioned that the Makurdi, 9th Mile dualisation is split into five sections covering about 250.6 kilometres, including a 15.8-kilometre Lafia Bypass.

The Wurukum Flyover is part of the first section of the Makurdi, 9th Mile stretch. Mr Danladi provided an update on the overall road project, saying that construction is going well along the Makurdi, Otukpo, Ninth Mile, Enugu Road.

He noted that work is at the layer before asphalt surfacing on about 150 kilometres of the nearly 250-kilometre road. The final asphalt surface is complete on about 87 kilometres.

He urged drivers and other road users to follow traffic rules and work with construction teams along the routes. The planned flyover expansion should increase capacity at the Wurukum Roundabout, but the new design is still waiting for approval.