Ministry of Works and Infrastructure in Ondo State has assured the people of the people of the state that it would continue to fix all the failed portions on the roads across the state with appropriate materials.
The Director, Civil Engineering Department, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Funmilayo Oluwatayo gave the assurance on Tuesday while reacting to an allegation by a local blog that the Ministry was patching potholes on the road with concrete materials.
Explaining what the reporter misconstrued as concrete materials, Eng. Oluwatayo said the Ministry is filling the potholes with stone-base materials mixed with other materials which are tested in the laboratory before use.
He disclosed that the ministry is, on the zero tolerance for potholes order of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, fixing all potholes on the roads.
The Director, Civil Engineering Department, Ministry of Works and Infrastructure said: “What we are doing presently now is maintenance of roads throughout the state as ordered by State Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
“We are working in the three senatorial districts simultaneously. As I am addressing you now, we have our men on the field all working.
“And presently in carrying out all these maintenance works, it involves noting the failed portions, which we have done previously, and we carry out desiltation too.
“You will discover that most reasons why these roads failed is because most of our drainages are filled with silt and dirt, which our people are fond of putting in the drainages when rain is about falling.
“What we do presently, we are removing those silt from the drains, and at the same time, we are working on the failed portions.
“Working of the failed portions requires some processes. These processes involve cutting those failed portions into regular shapes. The regular shapes could be in rectangular form or in square form.
After cutting them into shapes, we will remove the failed materials on that particular spot that has been cut, and when this is removed, we will replace it with stone-base materials.
“And mind you, the stone-base materials we are using are tested ones. It has undergone some tests in the laboratory, because it comprises of some materials,- the stone-base and other aggregates of other different sizes. So, it has been tested.
“And when we filled this failed portions, we roll it, that is compact it, after compacting it, we now subject it to working load for some days by allowing traffic, vehicles to run over it.
“When we feel it is okay, after testing, we will now come back and dress the surface. When we dress it, we will now prime it and put the asphalt. This is how we carry out the maintenance job. This is how we will complete all the failed portions.”