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If you’ve driven through Makurdi in the past few weeks, you’ve probably heard it before you saw it: the deep growl of bulldozers, the rhythmic thump of compactors, and the unmistakable roar of heavy-duty tippers hauling earth along Jonah Jang Crescent. After months of what sometimes felt like painfully slow progress, the dualization of one of the capital city’s most important arteries has suddenly shifted into high gear.
Residents and regular commuters say the change has been dramatic. Where there was once a single lane choked with traffic almost round the clock, fresh road markings now stretch out like promises, new drainage channels are taking shape, and the road is visibly widening before our eyes. Expanded lanes are emerging section by section, and the sheer volume of machinery on site is turning heads.
“Two weeks ago it felt like nothing was happening,” a commercial driver who plies the route told me this afternoon. “Now you can’t even count the number of machines. They’re working from morning till night.”
Project supervisors on the ground describe the current pace as “steady and encouraging.” Major earthworks are nearing their final stages, and the focus has shifted to concrete works, kerbing, and the all-important asphalt overlay that will eventually give motorists a smooth, modern ride. The goal remains clear: ease the chronic traffic congestion that has plagued this corridor for years, slash travel time for thousands of daily commuters, and unlock new commercial opportunities along what is arguably Makurdi’s busiest thoroughfare.
For now, patience is still required. Dust clouds still rise with every passing truck, temporary diversions still snake through neighboring streets, and the inevitable slowdowns around active construction zones remain part of the daily routine. But even with those inconveniences, there’s a palpable sense of optimism in the air.
Commuters I spoke to this afternoon were unanimous: the discomfort is worth it if the end result is a wider, safer, and faster Jonah Jang Crescent. Many believe that once the orange cones and barricades finally come down, mobility within Makurdi will be transformed for good.
From a congested single-carriageway to a modern dualized boulevard, the evolution is happening right in front of us, one truckload of laterite at a time. The heart of Benue’s capital is getting the facelift it has long deserved, and the heavy machines roaring along Jonah Jang Crescent today are the soundtrack of that change.
