By Ghazali Ibrahim
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Government to reroute the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway through the existing East-West Road from Ondo State into Edo State, Minister of Works Dave Umahi has said.
Umahi disclosed this on Monday while providing an update on the Federal Government’s major road projects, explaining that the directive would eliminate the need to construct a new alignment along the affected corridor.
“Divert, do not do any new alignments. Pass the coastal highway through the existing East-West road,” Umahi quoted Tinubu as saying.
According to the minister, the decision was influenced by difficult terrain, high construction costs and flooding challenges along parts of the East-West Road, particularly around Ughelli in Delta State.
He explained that the original route in Ondo State passed through pits exceeding 100 metres in depth, while suitable sharp sand for construction was unavailable in some areas up to a depth of 300 metres.
Umahi said the Federal Government consequently redesigned parts of the route to avoid the difficult terrain and reduce the engineering challenges associated with construction.
The minister also disclosed plans to raise vulnerable sections of the East-West Road by about two metres to keep them above current and anticipated flood levels.
He said the revised corridor, including the proposed 45-kilometre Benin bypass, would cover approximately 104 kilometres between the Ondo-Edo axis.
The bypass is expected to reduce congestion in Benin City by allowing motorists to avoid passing through the city’s urban centre.
Providing an update on the wider Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, Umahi said the first section, covering 47.47 kilometres from Victoria Island in Lagos, had been completed and was ready for commissioning.
He added that pavement works on the second section, spanning 55 kilometres to the Lagos-Ogun boundary, were expected to be completed in November.
At the Calabar end, the minister said sections 3A and 3B, covering 65 kilometres, had achieved more than 30 per cent completion.
Construction is also ongoing on an 82-kilometre dual carriageway in Akwa Ibom State, while route surveys and procurement are underway for a 129-kilometre road connecting the Edo-Delta boundary to the Delta-Bayelsa boundary.
The route changes have, however, attracted opposition from stakeholders in Ondo State, particularly coastal communities concerned about the implications for their access to the highway and the economic opportunities expected from the project.
The Federal Government has maintained that the realignment is necessary because of engineering challenges and the need to ensure value for public funds.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a major infrastructure project designed to connect Lagos and Calabar through nine southern states, with the government expecting it to improve transportation and facilitate economic activities along the corridor.
