FG completes 30km on Abuja-Kaduna-Kano highway

The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has stated that 30 kilometers of the reconstructed Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway has been completed. Speaking during a press briefing yesterday, Umahi said the completion is on the first section of the road which is 118 kilometres. He said 17 kilometres has been completed in reinforced concrete pavement while about […]

The Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, has stated that 30 kilometers of the reconstructed Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Highway has been completed.

Speaking during a press briefing yesterday, Umahi said the completion is on the first section of the road which is 118 kilometres.

He said 17 kilometres has been completed in reinforced concrete pavement while about 13 kilometres in asphalt overlay and would cost N252 billion.

He went on to state that the second section is 164 kilometres, and it is for N502bn

“The president has just approved a 30 percent payment, which is N152bn. That is a lot of money. So, we had a meeting with the contractor last week, and we agreed that in the entire stretch, they must deploy to a minimum of six sections. Today, they are in four sections. The sections that the minister of state went to inspect and notice, we have moved them down there to continue work.”

When asked if the contractor will meet the 14 months deadline, he said it will be done as the president is supporting the project very well just like the support given to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Trans-Saharan Route pavement and the Sokoto-Badagry highway.

On the claim that structural effect has been identified on the coastal highway, he said it is not true as work is yet to begin in the place identified.

He also said the government will introduce gantry with spikes under flyover bridges to prevent destruction of beams by overloaded trucks.

He said the plan will see the use of a 6.5 meters gantry to stop the continuous destruction of beams which are important to the sturdiness of the flyover.

He said the lack of it and disregard for traffic laws led to the destruction and closure of the beams holding the Keffi flyover which claimed a life.

While stating that the situation is rampant on flyovers on the Lagos Ibadan expressway, he said the first will be implemented for the Keffi flyover.

“We have a couple of them between Lagos and the Ibadan Bridges, completed in the last administration, but some of the beams have been knocked down. And the beams are the structural elements that are carrying the slab.”