By Jimitota Onoyume 

DELTA—Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, has said that the use of concrete instead of asphalt for construction on the East West road would be a lasting solution to the incessant collapse of the road , expressing satisfaction with   the remedial work by the federal government at Umeh community’s portion of the road in the Delta State axis.

“The permanent solution for East West road is to use concrete and raise it above the flood plains”, he stressed. 

The Minister spoke  after inspecting the remedial work on the road, explaining that his Ministry opted for concrete to raise the pavement around the flood plains identified on the East West road between Delta and Ahoada area of Rivers state. 

He assured that when completed the concrete would last between 50 to 100 years unlike the asphalted portions of the road with a life span of 10 years or even less.

“Concrete is very friendly with rainfall. The asphalt will always fail when the underground water touches the bottom of the asphalt. This concrete will last 50 and 100 years. Asphalt hardly last within 10 years,” he said. 

His words: “ The first section is here( around the Umeh market ) and it’s about 2.5 kilometer. The second section 3 kilometers spread out. This is a road constructed within the flood lane. The flood of last year dealt terribly with it and the road was cut into two. President Bola Tinubu directed that we should immediately remedy it.

“We have looked at the East West road and we found out that the water table is very high. There are a lot of flood plains on the road so what we are doing is to isolate the locations the roads were constructed within the flood plains. And raise up the road pavement with concrete. 

“The contractor at Umeh has completed a section almost a kilometer. He is doing the relief cover so the water can escape from one point to the other. He has completed a section and will start work on the second section

We are doing the same thing towards Ahoada and Bayelsa. Before May 25 it will be completed and we will come and commission the two sections . The contractor assured us .”

The chairman Umeh community, Mr Dennis Agbakpa who also spoke to journalists said the community was   grateful to President Bola Tinubu for his intervention on the road.

“We are grateful for what Mr President is doing. We are happy that this side of the road is raised and the other side going to Umeh community should be done and a culvert placed there. And they should   improve our market which the flood affected.”, he said.

The Minister also inspected other portions where remedial work was ongoing along the Delta state’s axis of the East West road.