The federal government has promised that the proposed construction of the Abuja-Lagos Greenfield super highway which will be completed by 2027, is projected to last 100 years.

Disclosing this at a press briefing on Saturday, the minister of works, David Umahi, stated that the travel time to and from both locations on the 470 kilometres highway, will take just four and half hours if driving at 100 kilometres per hour speed, The Nation reports.

“When I first introduced this to the public, many doubting Thomases were saying ‘it is impossible, Lagos-Abuja that is done in 14 hours cannot be done in four and half hours’, that is the renewed hope of Mr President,” he said.

According to the former Ebonyi State governor, the road will be constructed entirely with concrete, rather than asphalt, which costs more.

He explained that the construction of the road will be executed by a private sector consortium at no cost to the government, adding that the consortium will operate the facility for a yet-to-be-determined period on a build, operate and transfer deal.

Mr Umahi noted that the road will be tolled at different points for the investors to recoup their investment.

Stating that the contractor should be on site in three months, the minister further stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has “approved that I fast-track this project. This project is going to be two lanes but each lane is going to be a two-carriage way and it is going to be 14 metres.

“The only carriageway that is equivalent to this is the Third Mainland Bridge where each carriageway is 14 metres. It is going to be built on 275-millimetre thick concrete.

“The live-shelf design of this project is going to be 100 years. It is going to be completed within four years and this is doable. There are a number of bridges that will be built. There are a number of tolling points that are going to be there.

“We are not putting any kobo but we will assist them in every direction,” he explained further.

Recall that Mr Umahi had on Sunday, after a meeting with Mr Tinubu in Abuja, revealed that the FG was planning two super highways across the country through a Public Private Partnership scheme.