The Nigerian Federal Government is planning two major highways that will span the entire country through a Public-Private Partnership scheme.
Dave Umahi, the Minister of Works, disclosed this to State House Correspondents on Sunday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
He announced that these highways would connect Abuja to Lagos and Port Harcourt to Lagos, and they would be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to enhance the comfort of the travelling public.
Superhighways are designed for high-speed travel, featuring multiple lanes in each direction and a safety barrier dividing the two traffic flows.
The minister revealed that the government has garnered commitments from various stakeholders to ensure the success of the project within a reasonable timeframe.
Umahi also disclosed that the president was briefed on the need to secure better funding for road projects to prevent unnecessary cost overruns and specification changes.
He stated that the National Assembly would be kept informed about the necessity of allocating adequate funds to road projects that benefit the populace.
Additionally, due to inadequate funding, he has requested that the president direct the termination of road projects that have remained incomplete for more than a decade.
The minister assured Nigerians that no project initiated by previous administrations would be abandoned by the government.
He explained that the Tinubu administration inherited 2,604 projects worth N14 trillion, covering 18,000 kilometres of roads, with a commitment secured for the payment of four trillion from this amount.
Furthermore, the government is committed to using reinforced concrete for road pavements across the country. Concrete, he noted, is capable of withstanding heavy loads, such as large vehicles, with minimal deformation and can serve for many years without major repairs.
Several factors influence the performance of concrete pavements, including traffic, soil conditions, environmental factors, economic considerations, and stress distribution factors.
He emphasized that using local materials and reducing reliance on imported items, which have historically caused discrepancies in contracts, would be advantageous.
Regarding the structural issues on the Third Mainland Bridge, Umahi confirmed that repair work has commenced, and heavy vehicles have been temporarily prohibited from using the bridge.
