Percy Onyeka
The super highway being proposed by the Federal Government will reduce travel time on the Lagos-Abuja road from the current 14 hours to 4 and a half hours, the Minister of Works, Mr Dave Umahi has said.
Umahi told journalists that the proposed 470-kilometre Abuja-Lagos Greenfield superhighway, which would be completed in four years, would last 100 years.
According to him, the road would be built by a private sector consortium at no cost to the government, adding that the consortium will operate the facility for a yet-to-be-determined period on a build, operate, and transfer deal.
The Minister said the road will be tolled at different points to enable the investors to recoup their investment.
He said: “When I first introduced this to the public, many doubting Thomases were saying ‘it is impossible, Lagos-Abuja that is done in 14 hours cannot be done in four and half-hours’, that is the renewed hope of Mr. President.
“The president has approved that I fast-track this project. This project is going to be two lanes but each lane is going to be a two-carriage way and it is going to be 14 metres.
“The only carriageway that is equivalent to this is the Third Mainland Bridge where each carriageway is 14 metres. It is going to be built on 275-millimeter-thick concrete.”
He explained that from Lagos, the road would pass through eight states in the South-west and North-central before it gets to Abuja.
The states are Kogi, Ekiti, Oyo, Lagos, Ogun, Niger and Kwara.
Umahi commended the private consortium, Advance Engineering Company, which is behind the deal, saying he was satisfied with their concept and what they have put in place.
Techrectory with Agency Report.
