The Federal Government has issued a statement to clarify that it has not banned the use of asphalt in road construction. This clarification comes in response to recent reports in the media which suggested that the government had shifted its policy towards using concrete pavements exclusively.
According to the Federal Ministry of Works, there has been no directive mandating the use of concrete pavements for all road projects. Contractors have the option to continue using asphalt or switch to concrete without incurring any additional costs. However, certain conditions must be met for either option.
For contractors using asphalt, the signed contract agreement must be followed strictly with only a 5% Variation on Price (VOP) throughout the project, and the contract shall not be subject to review, especially on bituminous items. Also, the thickness of the asphalt pavement as designed must be strictly adhered to, and the design shelf life for the asphalt (at least 15 years) shall be guaranteed by issuing an insurance bond through a reputable insurance company in favor of the Federal Government.
For contractors using concrete, the 5% VOP and 50-year design shelf life using concrete grade 40 must be adhered to.
The minister also stated that most of the road construction projects across the country are still ongoing with asphalt pavement in line with this new policy. However, some projects are being redesigned with concrete pavement depending on the terrain and with the full understanding of the affected contractors.