The Federal Government is rerouting sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway through the existing East-West road from Ondo State into Edo State to avoid difficult terrain and reduce the cost of constructing a new alignment, Minister of Works Dave Umahi has said.
Umahi disclosed on Monday that President Bola Tinubu directed the ministry to use the existing road corridor rather than construct a separate route along the affected section of the coastal highway.
“Divert, do not do any new alignments. Pass the coastal highway through the existing East-West road,” the minister quoted Tinubu as saying.
He explained that the decision was also influenced by flooding along the East-West road, particularly around Ughelli in Delta State, where rising floodwaters have raised concerns about the road’s condition.
According to Umahi, the Federal Government plans to raise vulnerable sections of the road by about two metres above the existing level to improve their resistance to flooding.
He said Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had intervened over the flooding challenges, while the Federal Government was considering engineering measures to address the problem.
Umahi also defended the realignment of sections of the coastal highway in Ondo State, saying the original route presented serious engineering challenges that would have increased construction costs.
“I am aware of petitions against me saying I diverted the Ondo section. I welcome that,” he said.
“But the important thing is whether you are doing the right thing or the wrong thing. We have no regret for decisions taken in Ondo.”
The minister said the redesigned route would avoid difficult terrain requiring extensive earthworks. He added that contractors were carrying out filling operations exceeding 10 metres using sharp sand, with the work almost completed.
Umahi explained that the original alignment crossed pits more than 100 metres deep and areas where suitable sharp sand was unavailable for construction up to a depth of 300 metres.
He said the realignment affected sections 4A and 4B, covering 67 kilometres, comprising 27 kilometres in Ogun State and about 40 kilometres in Ondo State. The corridor would terminate around the Ondo-Edo axis, while the 45-kilometre Benin bypass was designed to ease traffic congestion in Benin City.
Providing an update on the wider project, Umahi said the 47.47-kilometre first section, extending from Victoria Island in Lagos, had been completed and was ready for commissioning. The 55-kilometre second section, which terminates at the Lagos-Ogun boundary, was expected to be completed the following month.
At the Calabar end, sections 3A and 3B, covering 65 kilometres, had recorded more than 30 per cent completion. Work was also ongoing on an 82-kilometre dual carriageway in Akwa Ibom State and an 88-kilometre link from Calabar to Ebidi Beach, intended to connect with the Trans-Saharan route.
The minister added that surveys and procurement were ongoing for a 129-kilometre dual carriageway from the Edo-Delta boundary to the Delta-Bayelsa boundary, with construction expected to begin in November.
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