Through a Public Private Partnership arrangement, the Federal Government intends to build two superhighways across the country.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, made the announcement to State House Correspondents on Sunday following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
He stated that the highways would run from Abuja to Lagos and from Port Harcourt to Lagos, and that they would be equipped with cutting-edge technology to ensure the comfort of travelers.
Superhighways are built for high-speed travel, with more than one lane for each direction of traffic and a safety strip separating the two directions.
The minister stated that the government has received assurances from parties to complete the project within a realistic time frame.
Mr Umahi further said that the president was briefed on the importance of seeking improved provision for road project funds in order to minimize unwarranted variances in cost and specifications.
He stated that the National Assembly would be carried along to recognize the importance of giving adequate funding for road projects that benefit the people.
He also stated that, due to insufficient funds, he has requested that the president direct the termination of road projects that have taken more than ten years to complete.
The minister promised Nigerians that the government will not abandon any projects undertaken by the previous administration.
He stated that the Tinubu administration inherited 2,604 projects totaling N14 trillion and spanning 18,000 kilometers of road, and that a commitment for payment of N4 trillion was obtained.
The minister also stated that the government was committed to using reinforced concrete for road surfaces throughout the country.
Concrete, he claims, can resist enormous loads like heavy cars with little distortion and can last for years without substantial repairs.
Traffic, soil, environmental, economic, and stress distribution considerations all have an impact on concrete pavement performance.
The benefit of these, he said, would be the employment of local resources and the elimination of imported bitumen, which has been the cause of contract variations in the country.
Mr Umahi stated that work on the structural faults on the Third Mainland bridge has begun, and articulated trucks have been prohibited from using it for the time being.
NAN