The Federal Government and contractors working on the Abuja-Kaduna highway have assured Nigerians that they are working day and night to ensure the timely completion of the section one of the road by April.
Director of Press, Federal Ministry of Works, Abdullahi Mohammed, Engineer Representative of the Project, Engr. Chukwuma Kalu and the Senior Project Manager, Infiouest Nigeria Limited, Robert Turner simultaneously gave the assurance during an Inspection Tour of Federal Road Projects and Interventions in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday.
Mohammed explained that the Abuja-Kaduna highway was one of the most critical roads in the country as it is a major link the between the Northern and Southern parts of the nation:
“This road is the heartbeat of the nation, it is the artery from the northern, north central, northwest to Abuja, as well as from Lagos down to the north. So, this road is so important that this government felt it wise that it should be done once and for all”, he said.
He further informed that the road was redesigned from asphaltic pavement to reinforced concrete pavements to enhance durability.
On his part, Engr. Chukwuma Kalu informed that the road was divided into sections. “Section one, which is lot one, consists of Continuous Reinforced Concrete Pavement (CRCP) section, which is 40.5km. It also has the 17.3km asphalt section in Kano, at Zaria Road leading to Kano, and then a 6.63 kilometers dual asphalt wearing course overlay in Kano State as well. To date, we have completed the 6.63 dual asphalt road in Kano. The road to Kano Airport has been marked with streetlights”, he said.
According to Engr. Kalu, “the 17.3-kilometer asphalt road leading to Kano, Zaria Road, is about 80 percent complete. We are putting wearing course on it now, on some sections of the road. And then, we are right now at the CRCP section, which is 40.5 kilometers by two, that’s 81 kilometers, out of which we’ve completed 60 kilometers.
“I know some people will say, you always say you’ve completed this, but we don’t see. You know, the road actually does start somewhere at Tugamaji, behind us. From that place to this place where we are, it’s almost 15 kilometers and then it continues all the way from here, stretching to Jere, just the sections that were omitted by the former contractor. So, we have 21 kilometers to complete before the end of April, that has been scheduled for the project.
“We work in the daytime, and we also work at night, to make sure we meet our targets of completing 81 kilometers by the end of April”, he said.
Also, Senior Project Manager, Infiouest Nigeria Limited, Robert Turner informed that section one of the project was 80% completed and would be ready for use by April:
“At the moment, we are basically on 80% of where we should be for section one. We’re working, like the engineer said, day and night shifts to make up time and to make it as less inconvenient for the public as possible. So, we give our full commitment to finishing the end of April. It is our privilege to make our minister and our president happy.
“We as a company, Infiouest, is very much committed to finishing that and also moving them forward to section two and completing that in time”, he said.
Earlier, the Minister of Works, Engr. David Umahi represented by the Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike commissioned
the newly rehabilitated Childcare Trust Road and five adjoining roads in Bwari Area Council.
“This special intervention fund, for me, will go a long way to ease congestion. It will go a long way to avoid the stopping of the masses.
“I’m honoured to do this commissioning on behalf of the Minister of Works and to act that a well-built and properly maintained road would directly impact safety, commerce, and also the lives of the citizens.
“I want to urge the Ministry to do everything possible to also monitor and ensure that maintenance of this place is going on. On behalf of the Ministry, I commission this intervention road project for the good and the betterment of Bwari and Nigeria at large”, she said.
Childcare trust road and the five adjoining roads in Bwari Area Council are part of the
2,064 projects abandoned by the Buhari government alongside a debt overhang of approximately 13 trillion Naira.
