The Federal Government has announced that Section One of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is substantially completed and ready for commissioning, while Section Two is expected to be delivered by November.
The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, disclosed this on Wednesday during an inspection tour of the project in Lagos, noting that major structures along the corridor are part of the second phase.
According to him, features such as flyovers, underpasses, and interchanges fall under Section Two of the project, clarifying that Section One was designed without such structures.
“Some of the works you are seeing, such as underpass, overpass and the interchange, belong to section two.
”Section one does not have any flyover. You may be asking why we say it is ready while flyover construction is still ongoing. Those works belong to section two,” he said.
Umahi explained that about 200 metres of pavement were deliberately left incomplete due to concerns over soil settlement, stressing that engineers are monitoring the area closely before final surfacing decisions are made.
“We have been checking settlement there, and it is settling very fast. We do not want to take chances.
“If after two weeks we are not satisfied with the settlement, we will put flexible pavement there temporarily for one year before replacing it with rigid concrete pavement, ” he said.
He added that rigid concrete pavement cannot withstand unstable ground conditions, hence the need for caution in that section.
The minister said only minor finishing works, including landscaping and shoulder adjustments, remain on Section One.
He commended the contractor, Hitech Construction Company, for quality delivery and praised President Bola Tinubu for initiating multiple legacy infrastructure projects across the country.
“We are doing the same in Sokoto, Kebbi, Badagry, Oyo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Jos, Gombe and Biu,” he said.
“These legacy projects are spread across the six geopolitical zones, and it shows that the president is fair.”
Umahi also stated that by November, construction on the coastal highway would have reached the Ogun–Lagos border, with further extension work progressing towards Ondo State and eventual expansion into Edo State.
He added that the highway is designed as a long-life infrastructure expected to serve between 50 and 100 years.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olufemi Dare, said Section One, covering 47 kilometres, is about 98 per cent completed, with remaining works largely limited to landscaping and walkway installation.
“I can confidently say that this project is completed and ready for commissioning,” he said.
Similarly, Director of Bridges and Design at the Federal Ministry of Works, Mr Musa Saidu, said the engineering work from Victoria Island to Chainage 47 meets all required standards.
“What remains are aesthetics such as tree planting, solar installations and about 100 metres of continuously reinforced concrete pavement awaiting settlement,” he said.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement (South-West), Mrs Moremi Ojudu, described the highway as a major economic corridor for the region, while her South-East counterpart, Mrs Chioma Nweze, said it reflects balanced infrastructure development across geopolitical zones.
She pointed to ongoing work on the Trans-Sahara Road as evidence of nationwide coverage.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Works, Mr Akin Alabi, described the project as the realisation of a long-standing vision, originally conceived during President Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos State Governor.
Senator Osita Ngwu of the Senate Committee on Works also praised the progress, saying early doubts about the project had been dispelled.
“It is difficult for anybody to come here and not be impressed. This is what we call a legacy project,” he said.
