The Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project in the Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
In the interest of improving roads in their rural communities the Ondo State Government, through Governor Akeredolu, has entered the World Bank assisted Rural Access Mobility Programme (RAMP), later renamed the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), with the intention of creating farm to market access roads.
The objective of the Project is to bring about enhanced productive capacity and rapid development of Nigeria’s rural areas and the improvement of the living standards of its dwellers, through the provision of improved and efficient rural transport infrastructure necessary for economic and social development.
Officials from SAO Capital, Mr. Temitope Runsewe and Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, Consultants to the State Government on the project, recommended the Engineered Base Stabilizer (EBS) provided by Soil Solutions as a viable alternative to the proposed asphalt overlay, which has proven to wash away during rainy seasons.
Sealing the surface with EBS will provide a sustainable solution with improved road surfaces that will be protected from erosion, UV and water-resistant, require less maintenance, constructed in a more efficient and economically sensible manner, and most importantly enable the farmers to get their produce to the market with ease.
The application of the EBS Surface Seal will create an opportunity for job creation and skills transfer to local contractors to apply the product as the project moves forward as well as the development of a community-based maintenance program.
Project Description: An area of the Molege Road link to the Owo Township Road was selected to perform a demonstration with the Engineered Base Stabilizer (EBS) to show the advantages over the asphalt method.
Application: The existing surface was scarified, then shaped to provide proper drainage, compacted to a smooth finish then sealed with the Engineered Base Stabilizer using multiple coats until the point of refusal was reached. The EBS was allowed to penetrate and then the road was opened for traffic.
Result: A re-constructed surface layer with a newly created wearing course with complete dust elimination, erosion prevention, improved skid resistance, total preservation of fines and material, is non-slippery, water and UV resistant, free from the formation of potholes, rutting, and corrugation, improved load-bearing capacity, increased tensile strength and a reduced environmental impact.
