CONSTRUCTION of Phase One of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway will be completed in January 2026, the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi has said.
Umahi made the disclosure during an inspection tour of the project.
“We are here to review the project with the financial promoters– Dutch Bank and Development Bank of Southern Africa,” he said.
He said it was projected that 20kms of the road (from Ahmadu Bello Way in Lagos) would have been completed by May. “We are going to surpass the 20kms from this site.”
Umahi said that the first phase of the highway project is more than 70 per cent complete, although the contractor has not received funds up to the 70 per cent.
“That is why I call them people whose minds are set on nation-building, rather than profit making”, Umahi stated.
“Along the corridor, there are some lands which have been acquired for tourism, industries, factories and housing estates.
“These are the road architecture that you are going to receive on this highway. I assure you that by January next year, God willing, we have this road completed,” the minister said.
He said that the financial promoters of the highway were satisfied with the work progress, quality, method statement, and every other thing about the project.
He praised the contractor handling the project, Hitech Construction Company, for efforts.
“The road is exceptionally technically well-designed. “The concrete thickness is designed for 275 millimetres but what they are doing is 280 millimetres.
“ I commend also the department in charge of this project – the Department of Bridge and Roads, and, of course, the controller of works in Lagos,” he said.
Umahi said that the greatest worry he could have would be motorists joining the highway ‘from their houses’.
“It is going to be a very serious issue; so, we have to design a barrier.“ I know that you are putting a retaining wall but you have not incorporated a retaining wall all through.”
He said that, as a superhighway, it would be expected that motorists would join it at flyovers and interchanges to avoid gridlock
