No More Laterite For Road Construction – Umahi Issues Fresh Directive To Contractors

The Minister of Works, David Umahi has announced a ban on the use of laterite as base material for road construction by contractors.

The Minister instructed that instead of laterite, federal government contractors must now use lumps, sharp sand and stone base.

Umahi while giving the directive on Friday argued that laterite has a limited load-bearing capacity, is susceptible to erosion and weathering, especially in areas with heavy rainfall and this can lead to quick degradation of the road surface.

The Minister according to a statement by the Director (Information), Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Lere-Adams Blessing spoke while inaugurating a committee for the supervision of the reconstruction of the Benin–Warri dual carriageway and the dualization of East–West Road, Port Harcourt–Onne Port junction road in Rivers State.

She quoted the Minister as saying, “We are giving very serious attention to the roads between Benin and Warri. The road between Eleme and Onne Port, we are mindful of the site conditions of these roads, the water conditions and the boreholes instead of pot holes on these roads.

“No more laterite, contractors are now to use lumps, sharp sand and stone base in place of laterite.”

The committees constituted are as follows: Reconstruction of Benin-Warri Dual Carriageway (Section 1 : By Levant Construction Company Ltd)
Engr. C. Oke, Deputy Director HSSI; Engr. B. W. Hassan; Representative of the Honourable Minister; Representative of Highways MG&QC; Representative of Human Resources Department, FMW; Representative of Legal Department, FMW ; Representative of COREN; Representative of NSE. Among others.