FG to Construct Super Highways in Three Major States

Federal Government has stated its readiness to construct super highways transcending three major States through a Public Private Partnership scheme.
The super highways are expected to be sited on Abuja-Lagos and Port Harcourt-Lagos routes.
Minister of Works, Engr Dave Umahi stated this on Sunday while addressing State House Correspondents shortly after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
He pointed out that the super highways would be laced with with state- of- art facilities for the comfort of the travellers, promising that the Federal Government would partner with the stakeholders to speed-up the project.
Umahi noted that the President was also advised on the need to seek better appropriation for funding of the road projects to avoid unnecessary variations in cost and specifications.
He informed that the legislators would be duly involved so as to allocate sufficient funds for the project, just as he assured Nigerians that no project initiated by the past administration would be abandoned by government.
The minister disclosed that due to inappropriate funding, he requested that the President should direct the termination of road projects that have exceeded 10 years without completion.
Umahi confirmed that the Tinubu-led administration inherited 2,604 projects worth N14 trillion, covering 18,000 kilometres of roads.
He hinted that the Federal Government has already processed the payment of N4 trillion out of the N14 trillion, saying that the government would commence the use of reinforced concrete for road pavements across the country.
The minister stated that concrete would withstand heavy loads such as heavy and articulated vehicles, with less deformation and serves for years without major repairs.
Several factors affect concrete pavement performance, such as traffic, soil, environmental, economic and stress distribution factors.
He said that the success story would center on the utilisation of local materials and elimination of imported items, which he linked as the major challenge behind contract variations.
The minister confirmed that work is in progress in Third Mainland bridge while articulated vehicles were halted from plying it pending the completion of the project.