Despite torrential rains lashing the Niger Delta, Julius Berger Nigeria PLC has made remarkable progress on the landmark Bodo-Bonny Road project, demonstrating the company’s resilience and engineering excellence. The 35.7-kilometre road, a long-awaited lifeline connecting Bodo in Gokana Local Government Area to Bonny Island in Rivers State, is now over 80% complete, with bridges along the route largely finished and only final pavement joints remaining.
During a media tour of the site last week, the Project Manager, Tim Nippert, expressed satisfaction with the level of progress despite the weather setbacks. “We are working with grit and determination. It is all about our ability to persevere and our passion to deliver on our set goals,” Nippert said. “With that, we can manage challenges as they come.”
One of the most persistent obstacles, according to Nippert, has been the unusually heavy July rainfall, which is hampering the installation of the road’s base course. “Extraordinary rainfall in this month of July is not allowing installation of base course,” he noted. Still, Julius Berger is pushing forward, with binder installation now 70% complete and final asphalting steadily advancing.
On the Bonny Island end of the project, 5.2 kilometres of concrete pavement have already been laid within the town. An additional 5-kilometre stretch of asphalt road is 80% done, with binder already in place and only the wearing course and slope protection remaining to complete the segment.
Although significant parts of the road are already accessible, Nippert stressed that the Bodo-Bonny Road remains strictly for construction use at the moment. “The road is for Julius Berger construction use only for now, except in very important cases,” he said. Full public access will only be permitted once the project is completed in line with safety and quality protocols.
Security Coordinator at the site, Abraham Ikhenoba, also praised the commitment of the project team despite the challenging terrain and inclement weather. “Even with the rain and tough working conditions, every hand is on deck,” he affirmed. “It is in the character of the construction work for which we have been known.”
In a notable development, the road was briefly opened to the public in early June 2025 during the diamond jubilee celebration of the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom. The temporary access allowed friends, dignitaries, and residents to celebrate with the monarch, but the road was promptly closed again for construction works on June 15.
Amaopusenibo Festus Pepple, Secretary of the King Perekule Palace, confirmed the arrangement. “The idea of opening the road was to facilitate easy access for friends and well-wishers of the monarch and Bonny Kingdom to share in the joy of the celebration,” he said. “But we are done with that now, so effective June 15, 2025, the road was closed back for construction work to resume so that the company, Julius Berger, can meet up with agreed timelines for the road project.”
The Bodo-Bonny Road project, financed through a collaboration between the Nigerian government and the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited, is expected to significantly improve connectivity and economic integration in the region once completed. The road, once impassable and often dependent on ferry routes, is now fast transforming into a vital economic artery linking coastal communities to the mainland.
With Julius Berger’s dogged determination and engineering precision, the Bodo-Bonny Road is on track to become a model of infrastructural resilience and excellence in Nigeria’s South-South region.
