FG reveals plan to evacuate broken down trucks from highways
Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has revealed plans to immediately remove any broken down truck from the highways as part of measures to ensure the free flow of traffic while construction work is on -going.
He gave the assurance over the weekend while inspecting the rehabilitation of the Odukpani- Akpet-Alesi -Ugep Road in Cross River state in conclusion of his one -week tour of some federal roads in the south-south and south-east geopolitical zones of the country.
The minister said the federal government intends to adopt a strategy of immediate removal of broken down trucks from Nigerian highways to avoid commuters being delayed.
He added that this would apply to all the highways where trucks get stuck easily like the Numan Road in Taraba state, Calabar-Itu Road and the Abeokuta – Ota Road.
“We want to ensure that this time our contractors are better prepared for the rainy season. So, we need to evolve a strategy where our contractors are mindful that yes we have the construction work, but the roads must remain motorable during the rainy season,” Fashola said.
The minister however, advised vehicle owners to ensure that their vehicles were well maintained in preparation for the rainy season to avoid any break down.
He said that the 76 km Alesi-Ugep Road which links Iyamoyung and Akpet communities to other parts of the state used to be one of the troubled spots in the last few years, but has become passable.
Fashola further said that President Muhammadu Buhari is anxious to see that the 67 km road is completed, knowing its importance to the economy of Cross River state.
Speaking earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Cross River state, Bassey Nsentip disclosed that some communities have benefited economically from the construction of the road, adding that the contractor employed 176 skilled and unskilled workers in executing the road project.
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Nsentip also said that suppliers of building materials and food vendors benefitted immensely from the project.
He disclosed that the project was 97 per cent complete as only surface dressing, road markings and signs were yet to be done, assuring that when all those things were put in place the project would be ready for inauguration.
