Concrete road cheaper, safer, stronger-Dangote

The AG-Dangote construction company on 9 August urged governments at all levels and engineers to switch over to rigid pavement for road construction, saying it is more affordable, durable, safer and stronger.

Dangote Group’s Executive Director Stakeholders Management and Corporate Communications, Engr Ahmed Mansur led the delegation of the Dangote Group at this year’s Engineering Assembly with the theme: “The Nigerian Built Industry: Building a Sustainable Structure with Allied Professionals.”

Representative of AG Dangote Engr. Tunde Jimoh who made the appeal at the ongoing Engineering Assembly of the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) yesterday in Abuja said the maximum life cycle of flexible pavements known as Asphalt road is about 20 years.

Engr Jimoh added that the life cycle of a rigid pavement or concrete road is 40 years or more. He said: “The pavement type chosen depends on a number of factors which includes: expected traffic wheel loads, load repetitions, cost of construction, maintenance, etc.”

He said the AG Dangote is currently constructing the longest concrete road in the country located in Kogi State. The Obajana-Kabba road, he added, is a 43-km concrete road project due to be commissioned in December.
He said the 24-km Itori-Ibese concrete road has since been delivered. Engr Jimoh who is the company’s Project Manager said it is set to deliver the dual carriage Apapa Wharf Road in Lagos this month.

According to him, “This vision of the development of Concrete roads in Africa is being shared by more Leaders and Governments. The implementation of concrete roads can revolutionize infrastructural development in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.” He added that the cost of maintenance of asphalt roads is four to seven times higher than concrete roads, saying the raw material for concrete can be locally sourced.

He however said the challenge with rigid pavement construction is that of locally sourced competency of labour force.