Minister of Works, David Umahi, has explained that President Bola Tinubu directed the Federal Government to route part of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway through the existing East-West Road to address flooding and avoid constructing a new road alignment.
Umahi said the directive affects the corridor from Ondo State into Edo State, where the government plans to use the existing East-West Road instead of building a separate route.
According to the minister, Tinubu instructed the ministry to use the existing road corridor to connect the coastal highway.
“Divert, do not do any new alignments. Pass the coastal highway through the existing East-West road,” Umahi quoted the president as saying.
He explained that flooding, particularly around Ughelli in Delta State, was among the factors considered in the decision.
Umahi said the East-West Road was constructed before the effects of climate change were fully anticipated, adding that recent flooding had raised concerns about its vulnerability.
He disclosed that the Federal Government planned to raise sections of the road by about two metres to keep them above current and anticipated flood levels.
The minister also defended the realignment of sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Ondo State, saying the original route presented significant engineering challenges.
He said the initial alignment passed through pits more than 100 metres deep, while suitable sharp sand for construction was unavailable in some areas up to a depth of 300 metres.
According to him, the government decided to redesign the route to avoid the difficult terrain and reduce the engineering challenges associated with the project.
“We had to take a very serious engineering decision by making a detour, redesigning it to avoid such route,” he said.
Umahi added that filling work involving more than 10 metres of sharp sand was almost completed in the affected areas.
He said the realignment covers sections 4A and 4B, spanning 67 kilometres, with 27 kilometres in Ogun State and about 40 kilometres in Ondo State.
The minister added that the corridor would terminate around the Ondo-Edo axis, while a 45-kilometre bypass was planned to ease traffic congestion in Benin City.
Giving an update on the wider 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 said the second section, spanning 55 kilometres and terminating at the Lagos-Ogun boundary, was expected to have its pavement completed in November.
At the Calabar end, the minister said sections 3A and 3B, covering 65 kilometres, had recorded more than 30 per cent completion.
He added that construction was ongoing on an 82-kilometre dual carriageway in Akwa Ibom State, while work was also planned on an 88-kilometre link from Calabar to Ebidi Beach.
Umahi further disclosed that surveys and procurement were ongoing for a 129-kilometre dual carriageway linking the Edo-Delta boundary to the Delta-Bayelsa boundary, with construction expected to begin in November.
