Ondo State set to adopt soil solution for RAMP roads

The first phase of the 500 Kilometre roads under the Ondo State Rural Access and Mobility Project at Molege village in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State is getting ready for showcase to the World Bank whch is a critical patner of RAMP.

The demonstration is coming on the heels of the application of a soil solution enzyme in place of asphalt overlay on the road which will terminate in Ute in ose Local Government Area.

Briefing the Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, on the project, the State Project Cordinator of RAMP, Engineer Zaccheaus Olorunegan said 5.35 Kilometres of the full length of the road which is 12.5 kilometres have been completed with ten culverts.

He said opening up the agrarian communities is one of the priorities of the present administration in the state at making farm produce get to markets faster in the overall benefit of farmers.

Introducing the soil solution technology road compactment and solidity to the governor, an official of Soil Solution from South Africa Mr Wayne Marden said the application of the solution to the road would help it solidified such that nothing can penetrate the topsoil.

Before the demonstration of the soil solution on the road, an official of SAO Capital, Mr Temitope Runsewe who is the Consultant to the State Government on the project, said the Engineering Based Stabilizer, EBS, solution would keep the top surface solidily intact for about ten years.

While assuring that the EBS would cost about 40% less than what asphalt overlay would cost, added that Ondo State is the first state to use it on its road in Nigeria but that the solution is popular in countries like South Africa and Kenya

Responding, Governor Akeredolu said the gesture was part of his election promises to construct rural roads that would enable farmers get their farm produce to the market with ease.

He said government adopted the new method of road construction discovered in South Africa and in the US to replace the asphalt method that could be washed away during rainy seasons.

The governor explained that after the State Government's efforts, it succeeded in bringing down to the state, the South African Company for the demonstration of the Engineering Based Stabilizer, EBS, solution method that could solidify the road and have it last for over 10 years.

He said the South African Company would apply its EBS on one kilometre while the US Company would come to apply it's on another one, to ascertain whose enzyme solution was the best.

Some of the representatives of the people of the area spoke glowingly of Governor Akeredolu.