By Nelson Egware
The long-awaited Trans-Warri–Ode-Itsekiri Road project has reached a historic milestone, with all bridges on the main alignment completed and only seven kilometers of roadwork left to be asphalted.
The Delta State Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze, made the disclosure yesterday during an inspection tour of the project.
For the first time since the project began nearly two decades ago, Izeze, alongside officials of the Ministry of Works, drove smoothly across the completed bridges into Ode-Itsekiri—the ancestral home of the Itsekiri nation.
The Commissioner, conducted round the site by the Special Project Director, Chief Adams Otimeyin, described the achievement as a landmark moment in Delta State’s infrastructure drive.
“Thankfully, we were able to drive into Ode-Itsekiri successfully, something that has never happened in all our previous inspections,” Izeze stated.
“Nineteen years after, Setraco has shown remarkable capacity to deliver this very difficult project given the terrain. About 2 kilometers of the road have been asphalted, leaving 5 kilometers to go before final finishing touches ahead of inauguration by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.”
The Works Commissioner attributed the breakthrough to Governor Oborevwori’s unwavering commitment to funding the project, which had suffered repeated delays under past administrations.
“This project once seemed like one that would never be completed,” Izeze said. “But here we are today because Governor Oborevwori has demonstrated the leadership and dedication to see it through.
"His consistent funding has given both the contracting firm and the Ministry the confidence to push forward to this point.”
Setraco Project Manager, George Maron, also lauded the governor’s determination, assuring that the company is on course to complete the road before the end of 2025.
“The commitment to funding this project is at a very high level,” Maron said. “It is entirely due to the efforts of the present government under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, whose vision has made this progress achievable.”
When completed, the Trans-Warri–Ode-Itsekiri Road will not only open direct access to the historic Ode-Itsekiri community but also strengthen economic, cultural, and social ties across the state, marking one of the most transformative infrastructure projects in Delta’s recent history.
