Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, has expressed the readiness of the Federal Government, towards completing the multi-billion-naira Abuja Light Rail (ALR) project on schedule.
Senator Mohammed, who said this yesterday, while x-raying the activities of the FCT Transportation secretariat, disclosed that, at present, the project is 20 per cent complete.
The minister assured that, the tempo of execution of the project would be intensified, considering its importance to the economic turn-around of the entire FCT, and the country at large.
As envisaged in the work plan, he reaffirmed that Lots I & III of the project, would surely be achieved, on or before 2013.
He disclosed that, over 90 per cent of detailed engineering design, including aerial survey, ground control survey, horizontal & vertical alignment design, bridges & culverts, training centre building structures as well as general site working-drawings, have been achieved.
He explained that, operational facilities like quarry yard, steel structure, concrete sleepers and girder plants, which produced over 125,000 concrete sleepers that is very critical to the track laying activity, are complete.
"The land acquisition enumeration and compensation of economic trees as well as building structures, on the ROW at Idu Depot/Dry inland container port area, Ring road I, Idu, Gwagwa/Dei-Dei, Kagini and about 4 kilometres into Kubwa have been completed," he further said.
According to him, the laying of tracks are expected to begin in earnest, as rail tracks have started arriving at the Idu depot.
He also disclosed that, site clearing and removal of 35 kilometres vegetable top soil has been completed, for Lots 3a and from Idu to Kagini in Lot 1a.
Cutting and filling to formation levels, of more than 28 kilometers of the right of way, including rock excavation is on-going, the minister revealed.
This was just as he said that, a total of 125,000 concrete sleepers have been produced, sufficient for 25 kilometres of double track and 120,000 m3 ballast standard rail-track gravel has been produced, sufficient for 35 kilometres of the track's right of way.
Meanwhile, the administration also said, arrangements have been concluded, to organise Transportation Investors' Summit, to take care of other transportation facilities, that are part of the integrated transportation programme of the FCT.
The FCT minister assured that, the administration will not leave any stone unturned, to revolutionalise the transportation sub-sector, as it affects all sectors of the society.
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