FG Threatens to Shut Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Two Weeks

• The Federal Government has threatened to shut the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within two weeks if safety breaches.

The Federal Government has issued a two-week ultimatum for conditions to improve along the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway or risk having the road shut down.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olufemi Dare, disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists during an inspection tour of the ongoing coastal highway project.

Dare said the warning followed a directive from the Minister of Works, David Umahi, amid persistent safety breaches, vandalism and other illegal activities being recorded along the highway.

“Within two weeks, if there’s no improvement on all these issues, then we have no option than to come back and shutdown this road,” Dare said.

The controller explained that the government was particularly concerned about motorists exceeding the prescribed speed limit and engaging in activities that could endanger road users and workers on the ongoing construction project.

30km/h Speed Limit

Dare said motorists were expected to maintain a maximum speed of 30 kilometres per hour on the coastal highway because construction work, including bridge construction, was still ongoing.

He expressed concern over drivers travelling at speeds as high as 120 kilometres per hour on sections of the road where construction activities were still in progress.

“We have said your speed on the coastal road must not be more than 30 kilometres per hour,” he said.

According to Dare, lives were being lost on the highway “almost every other day”, prompting the government to consider stricter measures if safety conditions do not improve.

He also warned articulated vehicle operators against parking trucks and trailers along the highway, noting that some drivers had turned portions of the route into temporary parking areas.

Police Deployment Increased

The Federal Controller said the government had reached an agreement with the Lagos State Police Command to increase security personnel along the highway.

He said the increased deployment followed meetings between Umahi and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani.

“Beginning from this morning, we’ve started to see the improvement in deployment of police. And we are going to have more,” Dare said.

He also disclosed that the government was considering the use of additional security and surveillance measures to address illegal activities along the route.

Okada, Tricycles and Hawking Banned

Dare warned that motorcycles, tricycles, hawking and animal grazing would not be permitted along the coastal highway.

“We don’t want Okada motorcycles, tricycles. We don’t want them on the coastal road,” he said.

He added that authorities would also take action against people occupying shanties and other illegal structures along the highway.

Illegal U-turns created along the route were also identified as a concern, with Dare warning that motorists arrested for such offences could face prosecution.

Vandalism Raises Fresh Concern

Vandalism of safety infrastructure was another major issue highlighted by the Federal Controller.

Dare said vandals had been removing protective fencing and other installations from the highway, particularly at night.

According to him, about five kilometres of ClearVu fencing had been removed, while approximately 18 kilometres of concrete covers had also been vandalised and taken away.

“They come in the night, they remove the ClearVu fence that was used to barricade the communities from the coastal highway,” he said.

Dare said the government was considering replacing the steel ClearVu fencing with concrete barriers in vulnerable areas because the existing fencing could be easily removed.

“We have to change the strategy,” he said, adding that areas protected with block work had not experienced the same problem.

CCTV, Coastal Guards Planned

The government is also planning to deploy CCTV cameras along the route to strengthen surveillance and improve security.

Dare disclosed that approval had been given for the recruitment of 40 members of a coastal guard for the first section of the highway.

According to him, four members would be selected from each community along the route and would work with the police to provide community-level surveillance.

Additional personnel are expected to be recruited for the second section of the highway.

Dare said some previously engaged coastal guards had been attacked by vandals, making stronger police protection necessary.

He added that the authorities were planning to reorganise and train the coastal guards under the direct supervision of the Lagos State Police Command.

Highway Still Under Construction

The Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway consists of two sections covering approximately 103 kilometres.

Section 1 spans about 47 kilometres, while Section 2 covers approximately 56 kilometres.

Dare said there are 20 major bridges across the two sections, with 10 bridges located in each section, although several remain under construction.

He noted that the highway was still a construction zone and should ordinarily not have been opened to regular traffic before completion of the bridges.

The Federal Controller said the government had an alternative route in the Lekki-Epe Expressway, while urging motorists using the coastal highway to comply with all safety regulations.

The government’s two-week deadline is therefore aimed at improving compliance with safety measures, reducing vandalism and illegal activities, and strengthening security along the route before any decision is taken to shut the Lagos section.