Benin-Asaba Expressway: Concessionaire Seeks Motorists’ Patience, Assures of Accelerated Construction

The Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company Limited (BAECC) has appealed to motorists and host communities as it prepares to accelerate construction on the 125-kilometre highway after the rainy season.

Samuel Daramola, BAECC CEO, said the company remains committed to project delivery despite persistent rainfall and the challenges of rebuilding a major highway while keeping it open to thousands of vehicles daily.

“We recognise the inconvenience that motorists and communities have experienced, and we do not take their concerns lightly. Our responsibility is not only to build the permanent road but also to do everything reasonably possible to keep people moving while construction is taking place,” he said.

The 36-month project involves extensive reconstruction, expansion, drainage, pavement and culvert construction, traffic management, and installation of production facilities. BAECC has already completed significant earthworks, subgrade preparation, drainage, culverts, asphalt and binder-course works, and carriageway expansion across different sections.

The company has mobilised asphalt plants, concrete batching plants, paving equipment, and additional construction machinery, with billions of naira in private-sector resources committed to the project. Daramola stressed that much of the crucial preparatory work is not immediately visible but essential for durable road construction.

Persistent rainfall, he explained, had slowed but not stopped progress, affecting sequencing of earthworks and asphalt operations. “Where permanent pavement operations are restricted by rainfall, our teams continue with other engineering activities and palliative interventions,” Daramola said.

BAECC is also managing the challenge of keeping the busy route open, sometimes reopening treated sections earlier than ideal to ease congestion. Palliative repairs will continue on difficult sections while permanent reconstruction advances.

With improved October weather, the company will accelerate dry season work, deploying more personnel and machinery. Focus areas include completing drainage, pavement, asphalt layers, culverts, and other permanent works across all sections.

Daramola appealed for continued patience, saying, “We are not asking anyone to ignore the present difficulties. We recognise them and are addressing them through palliative interventions while building the permanent solution.” He asked that the project be judged by its final quality, durability, and safety, not just the temporary inconveniences of construction.

BAECC pledged continued cooperation with government agencies and host communities and reiterated that the road under construction will be vastly different from the finished highway. “We ask for a little more patience and the opportunity to complete what we have started,” Daramola concluded.