KEY POINTS
- Road will be completed in 14 months.
- Included in the extensive upgrades are reinforced concrete pavement and solar lighting.
- Reduces project timeline from three years to 14 months.
According to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, work on the Abuja-Kaduna-Kano dual carriageway will be completed within 14 months.
In his declaration Thursday, the road was inaugurated on Thursday for the rehabilitation of its Section 1 (Abuja to Kaduna).
Fast project timeline
Idris said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to completing the project in the shortest possible time. And that the first contract, which was supposed to be completed in three years, was also cancelled to meet the deadline.
“And the National Assembly is giving full cooperation and also the President has given a matching order.” In 14 months’ time, Nigerians will have a brand new road from Abuja to Kano, Idris said.
Scope of work
The project, divided into three sections Abuja to Kaduna, Kaduna to Zaria, and Zaria to Kano entails extensive rehabilitation and upgrades, including:
–A scarification and pulverization of the existing road surface.
-Crushed rock material, with three percent stablilization
-The construction of reinforced concrete-lined drains, median barriers and median drains.
-The 200mm thick continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) on the carriageway and shoulders.
-Installing solar lighting to help with safety and longevity.
Mr. David Umahi, Minister of Works, said the road is designed to last for 50 to 100 years, adding that the repairs will fix years of deterioration the road has suffered with, poor drainage, potholes and surface failures.
He also announced extensions, such as linking the Aminu Kano International Airport and a five kilometer stretch on the Abuja Lokoja end.
Timely delivery and commitment
Delays would not be tolerated, Idris further stressed, saying Nigerians wanted to see the road completed. He added maintenance work is going on in four stretches in order to fast track the process.
The rehabilitation project has also attracted support from the National Assembly with Senator Mpigi Barinada, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works among others present at the inauguration.
