Roads: Why we’re championing concrete technology — Umahi

•Says concrete’s permanent solution for East West road •Inspects remedial work

By Jimitota Onoyume & John Alechenu

ABUJA—The Minister of Works,  David Umahi, has explained that the adoption of continuous reinforcement concrete pavement, CRCP, technology which the ministry has adopted for use was designed to make roads situated in flood prone areas last longer and take high volumes of traffic.

He also explained that the only solution to the deplorable east-west road in the Niger Delta was concrete technology

Umahi stated these Tuesday while fielding questions from reporters during an inspection of the ongoing reconstruction of a 2.46-kilometre Special Intervention Project on the east-west road in Delta State, being handled by M/S Truetech Global Investment Services Limited.

The minister in a statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Mohammed Ahmed, in Abuja yesterday,  reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s determination to ensure that the roads along the economic corridors of the nation got the adequate priority they deserved.

He expressed satisfaction with the quality of the job being done on concrete, noting that “concrete is good for areas that experience double rainfall maxima.

‘’Roads built with concrete will last between 50 and 100 years, while asphaltic ones would fall within 10 years. Concrete is the solution to flood-density roads.”

The minister equally took time to interact with the youth and community leaders of the areas, where work was ongoing.

They unanimously attested to the quality of work the federal government was doing. But noted, however, that as Oliver Twist, they were requesting for more work to be extended to their various communities.

Motorists and commuters were not left out, as they poured encomiums on the minister and the President for alleviating their sufferings on the hitherto failed alignment which is giving taxpayers value for their money.

Umahi urged the contractors on the projects visited to expedite action as President Tinubu was “eagerly, awaiting their completion as a President who hates to see Nigerians going through hardship of any form.”

He, however, solicited understanding, as well as cooperation, while the task of making Nigeria’s roads user-friendly, lasts.

Concrete is the permanent solution for East West road – Umahi

Meanwhile, the minister has said that the use of concrete, instead of asphalt for construction on the east-west road would be a lasting solution to the incessant collapse of the road, expressing satisfaction with the remedial work by the federal government at Umeh community’s portion in the Delta State axis.

“The permanent solution for east-west road is to use concrete and raise it above the flood plains,” he stressed.

He explained that his ministry opted for concrete to raise the pavement around the flood plains identified on the road between Delta and Ahoada area of Rivers State.

He assured that when completed, the concrete would last between 50 and 100 years, unlike the asphalted portions of the road with a life span of 10 years or even less.

“Concrete is very friendly with rainfall. The asphalt will always fail when the underground water touches the bottom of the asphalt . This concrete will last fifty and hundred years. Asphalt hardly last within ten years.

“The first section is here( around the Umeh market ).  And it’s about 2.5 kilometer. The second section 3 kilometers spread out .”

 This is a road constructed within the flood lane. The flood of last year dealt terribly with it and the road was cut into two. President Bola Tinubu directed that we should immediately remedy it.

“We have looked at the east-west road and we found that the water table is very high. There are a lot of flood plains on the road, so what we are doing is to isolate the locations the roads were constructed within the flood plains. And raise the road pavement with concrete.

“The contractor at Umeh has completed a section almost a kilometer. He is doing the relief cover so the water can escape from one point to the other. He has completed a section and will start work on the second section.

‘’We are doing the same thing towards Ahoada and Bayelsa. Before May 2025, it will be completed and we will come and commission the two sections.  The contractor assured us,’’ the minister said.

The chairman of Umeh community, Mr Dennis Agbakpa, who also spoke to journalists, said the community was grateful to President Bola Tinubu for his intervention on the road.

“We are grateful for what Mr President is doing. We are happy that this side of the road is raised and the other side going to Umeh community should be done and a culvert placed there. And they should improve our market which the flood affected.”, he said.