The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said all roads being constructed under the administration of President Bola Tinubu are designed to last for over 100 years, adding that road construction in the country is shifting from asphalt to concrete.
The minister stated this on Saturday while addressing journalists at the Amansea section of the Onitsha-Awka-Enugu Expressway after inspecting the ongoing construction work at the 107-kilometre road.
Umahi insisted that it is no longer “business as usual” in terms of road construction in the country.
He further emphasised that the road projects across the country are being done with durable concrete pavements for long-lasting use and are aimed at fostering regional economic growth, adding that the era of asphalt is gradually phasing out.
Umahi expressed satisfaction with the pace and quality of work being executed by Reynolds Construction Company, MTN Nigeria and its subcontractors, describing the highway as one of the most significant projects and a symbol of a legacy project by the Tinubu administration in the South-East.
The 107-kilometre expressway, which links Enugu and Anambra states, is being reconstructed under the Federal Government’s tax-credit scheme, with MTN Nigeria initially awarded the entire project at a cost of N202 billion.
He said, “We came into Enugu–Awka-Onitsha road, a very problematic road, but it has been clipped by the ingenuity of President Bola Tinubu and his plan for the South-East. The previous governments never worked on that road.
“This project is part of a broader push to address long-standing infrastructure deficits in the South-East region. Past governments never worked on that road, but it is only by the audacity of President Bola Tinubu that this abnormal situation is coming to a halt.
“First, I am very impressed with the work being carried out by RCC, which is using concrete to do about 23km of road. The first 20km have been completed, we just have 13 km all on concrete that would last up to the next 100 years, and then we have the MTN project, which is a total of 107 kms.
“These projects are being built with durable concrete pavement and are aimed at fostering regional economic growth. The completed highways will feature reinforced concrete, solar-powered streetlights, CCTV surveillance, speed monitoring systems, and security patrol vans.
“You see, the design of the project is first binder, second binder, and wearing, and if you do the primer, everything is 94,000 per square meter, and we are doing concrete roads which will last the next 100 years. If concrete can last 100 years, why should I do asphalt?
“Nobody guarantees asphalt to last more than 15 years in this country on any of our roads, but we are doing concrete on our roads under President Bola Tinubu, and we guarantee it to last up to the next 100 years.
“We are moving from asphalt to concrete, as you can see the beauty of the coastal roads. You have seen the beauty of what we are doing on our roads with concrete on East-West Road, Trans -Sahara, Lagos-Calabar, and Sokoto. Badagry is about to start.
“So my directive, now effective from today, is that the 23 kms of RCC / MTN Cash Credit Project should be executed as such with inner shoulder and outer shoulder and build it up with laterals and build it up to the existing level of the asphalt.”
Umahi noted that the sustained inspection of road projects across the country is to ensure that Nigerians get value for their taxpayers’ money.
“Even if this road misses the next rainy season, which is not supposed to because our last agreement with the MTN is that it would be completed by April, but unfortunately, it will not be completed, and we don’t want single water to touch the road.
“We urge the people of the South East geopolitical zone to be appreciative of the massive road projects being executed by the President Bola Tinubu administration.
“The quality of what the President is doing would remain a legacy, so I ask the Southeast people to stand with the President and support the President’s renewed Hope and support him.
“Before now this road was so terrible and people were on social media talking all sorts of things, but now that the road has been done, we want you to go to social media and thank the President and be grateful to God and if you appreciate what has done, He would do more and South East is on the rise and we are grateful to Mr President,” he added.
Also speaking, the Federal Controller of Works, Anambra State, Augustine Opara, and Federal Controller of Works, Enugu State, Ndem Smart, both commended the minister for a cordial working relationship with the construction workers, assuring that the road project is targeting to be completed by May, 2026.
The PUNCH