FG Rebuilt Concrete Road on Akure-lkere-Ado-Ekiti Expressway Instead of Asphalt, Works Minister Announces

Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Mr David Umahi, has announced that the Akure-lkere-Ado-Ekiti Expressway, which is currently under construction, will be rebuilt with concrete instead of asphalt. This is part of the government’s plan to adopt concrete technology for road projects across the country.

Mr Umahi made this statement during a visit to the acting Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Friday evening. He was inspecting the federal roads in the South-West region of the country.

He said that concrete roads have many advantages over asphalt roads, such as longer life span, lower maintenance cost, and less dependence on imported materials.

He cited the example of concrete roads that have been tested in several states and have proven to last for 50 years, while asphalt roads barely last for 15 years, especially in the South-South, South-East and South-West zones.

He also said that importing bitumen, which is the main component of asphalt, puts a lot of pressure on the naira and the foreign exchange market. On the other hand, using concrete roads will promote local content and reduce the demand for petroleum products.

He revealed that any road project that is not more than 20 per cent completed will be redesigned to use concrete pavement. He mentioned that the recently awarded Akure-Ita-Ogbolu-Iju-lkere-Ado road is one of them.

He added that road construction is a dynamic sector that requires constant review and adjustment due to the changing prices and quality of materials. He said that bitumen imported in the 1950s and 1960s was of higher quality than what is available today.

He said that he was determined to introduce the concrete road department in his ministry to oversee the implementation of this new policy.

The acting Governor of Ondo State, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, praised the minister for his passion and commitment to improving the road infrastructure in the country.

He appealed to him to consider the dualisation of the Ore-Ondo-Akure road and the rehabilitation of the Ore-Okitipupa road among other federal roads in the state.

He also acknowledged the intervention of his boss, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, in making some of the roads in the state motorable.

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