The government of Anambra State is currently experimenting with a new technology that will lead to the construction of longer lasting roads in the state.
Speaking at a demonstration of the use of the technology on the short road linking the state secretariat complex to Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka on Thursday, the Governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano revealed that the new technology is expected to boost his administration’s effort to find a lasting solution to the challenge of building roads that would stand the test of time in the state.
Said he: “We just want to experiment with this short and busy road and see how it can withstand heavy traffic before we can begin to adopt it for internal roads within the urban and non-urban areas,”
Speaking further, Governor Obiano explained that after the experiment, the road would be placed under close observation for six months to see whether it would withstand heavy traffic.
“And if we eventually are convinced that such is the case, then we will begin to apply the technology in the construction of roads in the hinterland and other areas,” he assured, pointing out that the test being done on the short stretch of road was at no cost to the state government since it was a demo.
Offering further insight into the experiment, Mr. Telforn Soden, the engineer representing West Incorporate; owners of the technology, explained that the product was a road stabilizer which had been in use in many parts of the world. “We built roads in South Africa that have been there for 25 years. All that may be required is just resurfacing. We have built roads in Turkey, Sudan, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia and many parts of Eastern Europe,” he explained.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Commissioner for Works, Chief Law Chinwuba had explained that the new technology was expected to drive down the cost of constructing roads in the state by 50 percent.
Pointing out that the government decided to adopt the technology as part of fulfilling its mantra of doing-more-with-less, Chief Chinwuba observed that Anambra has the best network of roads in the country but what the state had to figure out was the way to maintain the roads.
He commended governor Obiano for funding the purchase of new road maintenance equipment up to the tune of N100m and assured that road maintenance teams were currently deployed across the three senatorial zones where they are patching up all broken roads and filling potholes.