According to the Federal government, all active road projects around the nation that are less than 20% complete will be reconfigured as concrete pavement roads.
In Akure, the capital of Ondo state, Minister of Works Dave Umahi declared that “jobs not more than 20% finished would be redesigned to concrete pavement roads.”
Speaking during a courtesy visit to the state’s acting governor, Hon. Lucky Ayedatiwa, Umahi predicted that “Concrete pavements on highways will be more common in Nigeria as they have a longer lifespan than bitumen roads.
The minister was in the South-West of the nation inspecting federal roadways.
According to him “Concrete roads have been tested in several states, it has a life span of 50 years, compared to Asphalt roads that will only last for 15 years.
He said that the importation of bitumen alone was putting more pressure on the Naira and with the use of concrete pavement roads, it would be more local content.
According to him “A very important thing that I must let you know is the issue introduction of concrete technology in our roads.
“My argument is that you see a lot of roads that are built on concrete with a shelf life of 50 years.
“But there is no asphalt road here, especially in South-South, South-East and South-West even if it’s done by top contractors will not last more than 15 years.
”You see jobs that are still ongoing and that is why we are going around and then redesigning a portion of roads that are maybe 10 to 20 per cent completion and we are sure that this is the way to go and it has a guarantee of 50 years.
“Not only that, you find out that we are having so much pressure on the Naira, the importation of bitumen is a lot of pressure on the Naira, so cement is a local content, almost everything we need not being produced in Nigeria.
“Now local content, the high cost of petroleum products and the very volatile nature of the industry is also another point.
” Almost all our projects that were awarded three years ago are due for review, some have been reviewed through VOP (variation of price) and so it doesn’t leave us with an assurance that if a project is started it would appropriated for and it could be completed.
Umahi said that road construction was a dynamic sector as prices of materials needed kept on soaring and varying and despite all, the guarantee that the road might not last for the designed life span.
“Let me put it on record that bitumen imported in the 1950s, and 1960s are of higher quality than what we have today so we have a lot of problems in our hand and that’s why we are courageous to introduce the concrete road department,” he said.
The recently granted Akure-Ita-Ogbolu-iju-Ado route, according to Umahi, would be reconstructed with concrete pavements.
Speaking, acting governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said that many of the state’s federal highways had suffered considerable degradation and that the majority had either deteriorated or been inadequately maintained.
Among other federal roads in the state, Aiyedatiwa urged the dualization of the Ore-Ondo-Akure road and the necessity of repairing the Ore-Okitipupa axis.
He added “It is noteworthy to mention that the intervention of my boss is principally what has made these roads remain in their present motorable state.
