EVALUATION OF CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF DELAY IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LOKOJA-ABAJI ROAD, KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The main causes and effects of delay in the construction of the Lokoja- Abaji road on the stakeholders were evaluated. Effects of various delaying factors related to the contractors, client/owner, consultants, construction materials, equipment, labour and general environmental factors on delay in constructions projects were measured. Data on the study variables were collected through structured questionnaire and a face to face interview from the various stakeholders identified. The snowball sampling technique was employed due to the hidden population of the targeted respondents and sample size of 168 was used for the study. Severity index and Pearson’s correlation coefficient as well as some descriptive and inferential statistics were applied for data analysis. The results of the study revealed that the factors related to contractor, client, consultant, material, labour, equipment and external factors have significant impact on delay in construction project as evident in the severity indices. The respondents’ views on the effects of delays on construction are total project abandonment with a mean value of 4.398 and time overrun also with a value of 4.398 on a scale of zero to five. They have the most severe effect, followed by cost overrun with a mean value 3.188 and litigation with a value of 1.507 respectively. Arbitration with mean value 1.500 and dispute with mean value 1.493 are the least in term of severity on construction project stakeholders. 76% of the road users and residents around the study area claimed to be adversely affected by the delay, while about 24% also reported the effect to be great in terms of longer commuting, traffic congestion and high cost of vehicle maintenance. The research has provided information on the critical factors causing delay on the road project under study and the modes of mitigation. The information can serve as a veritable tool for adequate planning and management strategies in construction projects to achieve a competitive level of quality and timely completion of road projects.