Concrete road cheaper, safer, stronger, says Dangote Group

The AG-Dangote construction company has 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 the 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) in Abuja, he 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 43km  concrete road project due to be commissioned in December.
He said the 24km Itori-Ibese concrete road has since been delivered.
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 higher four to seven times than concrete roads, saying the raw material for concrete can be locally sourced.