David Peter
The federal government has temporarily opened a section of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway for vehicular movement.
The 47-kilometre stretch runs from the Ahmadu Bello Way junction in Victoria Island to the Eleko junction.
The road was temporarily opened on Friday after a ceremony attended by David Umahi, minister of works; Gbolahan Lawal, Oniru of Iruland; Barinada Mpigi, the chairman of senate committee on works; Dany Abboud, managing director of Hitech construction company; Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Lagos commissioner for transportation; and officials of the ministry of works.
Olufemi Dare, federal controller of works in Lagos, said the government decided to temporarily open the section to ease traffic congestion during the Yuletide season.
Dare said the 47km section of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road was awarded to Hitech construction company for N1,067,887,381,148.61.
He said the contract sum covered the “construction of rigid pavement dual-carriage highway with accompanying drainages and culverts, median barriers, street lightings, and the relocation of public utilities like electric cables, poles, cable ducts, gas and water pipelines as required”.
“The stretch of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway that falls entirely within the Lagos State border is 103km in length,” he said.
“Up till date, a total of 30km of continuously reinforced concrete pavement (CRCP) has been completed, while sand filling has been completed on the remaining 17.474km, and the whole stretch of 47.474km is thus motorable.
“The total stretch in section 1 is projected to be completed before the end of the second quarter of 2026.”
Speaking during the ceremony, the works minister said it is untrue that the federal government is only concentrating on the Lagos-Calabar coastal road, adding that other projects are currently being executed.
He added that the federal government is ready to accept constructive criticism about the project.
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