Emmanuel OchayiNigeria’s Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi, has announced a fresh timeline for the completion of the long-awaited Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project, now expected to be delivered by November.
He also reiterated the need for road construction contractors to migrate to the use of concrete instead of Asphalt.
The minister while speaking on a television program acknowledged that funding is a major challenge, but vowed to seek intervention from President Bola Tinubu. “Let’s give it to November,” Umahi said, adding “We may have a little bit of challenges on funding but it is something that I intend to discuss with Mr President,” he said
Umahi emphasized the use of concrete in road construction, citing the Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) program as the source of funding. He stressed the importance of concrete roads, which have a longer lifespan and reduce the reliance on bitumen importation.
The minister also highlighted the risk of continuous piling of asphalt on the Third Mainland Bridge, warning that it could lead to vehicle overturning due to the added dead load. He pointed out the need for proper engineering design and maintenance to ensure safety.
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“What has happened is that in engineering design, there is what is called a dead load and the asphalt is a dead load. What that bridge is meant to carry is two inches of overlay asphalt,” he said.
He added: “But over the years, in the course of maintenance, when a portion of it is scratched, what will happen is that they will come and clean it up and put another asphalt on it.
“So, we have an asphalt thickness of between four and 12 inches. So, if you are riding on that Third Mainland Bridge, you will see that you are on a super-elevation and that is dangerous. It can cause overturning. And again, it is not designed to carry that dead load,” he explained.
Umahi commended Tinubu’s previous contributions to concrete road construction and interlocking designs in Lagos, highlighting their durability and adaptability. He urged a return to concrete road solutions to address Nigeria’s infrastructure needs.
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“Mr President is not new to concrete roads. While he was governor, he could be said to be one of the foundational sponsors of concrete roads,”
“He did and does understand that when you have a very high water table and when you have constant rainfall most of the time, you need concrete. Concrete is very friendly with the rain. So, he did quite a number of concrete roads.
“Even another aspect of concrete roads which is interlocking, you go to Victoria Island in Lagos, you will see it. If anyone goes bad, you just remove it, clean it up, and fill it with sharp sand. I should say that is his Tinubu’s idea,” he added.
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