Tinubu Orders Coastal Highway Rerouting Through East-West Road, Says Umahi

President Bola Tinubu has ordered that the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway be redirected through the existing East-West road, linking Ondo and Edo states, Dave Umahi, minister of works, has disclosed.

Umahi said the directive was aimed at avoiding the construction of a new route along the corridor.

“Divert, do not do any new alignments. Pass the coastal highway through the existing East-West road,” the minister quoted Tinubu as saying.

He explained that the decision was also influenced by recurring flooding along the East-West road, especially around the Ughelli area of Delta state.

According to Umahi, the road was built before the potential effects of climate change were fully considered, while recent flooding has exposed concerns about its susceptibility to inundation.

He said Sheriff Oborevwori, Delta state governor, had stepped in to address the flooding problem, adding that the federal government was preparing to elevate affected sections of the road.

The minister said the proposed intervention would involve raising parts of the East-West road by approximately two metres above their current height and projected flood levels.

Umahi also justified changes to the coastal highway route in Ondo state, arguing that the original alignment posed considerable engineering difficulties.

“I am aware of petitions against me saying I diverted the Ondo section. I welcome that,” he said.

“But the important thing is whether you are doing the right thing or the wrong thing. We have no regret for decisions taken in Ondo.”

He said the federal government had modified the route to bypass the challenging terrain, with substantial filling operations being carried out along the new alignment.

“We had to take a very serious engineering decision by making a detour, redesigning it to avoid such route,” he said.

“We are doing filling of over 10 metres, which is 30 feet plus, with sharp sand, and filling is almost concluded.”

Umahi explained that the original route crossed pits exceeding 100 metres in depth and locations where suitable sharp sand could not be found within a depth of 300 metres, making construction significantly more expensive.

He said the route adjustment covers sections 4A and 4B, spanning 67 kilometres, comprising 27 kilometres in Ogun state and approximately 40 kilometres in Ondo state.

According to the minister, the corridor will end around the Ondo-Edo boundary, while the 45-kilometre Benin bypass is intended to reduce traffic congestion in Benin City.

He put the combined length of the Ondo-Edo corridor and the bypass at 104 kilometres.

Giving an update on the broader Lagos-Calabar coastal highway project, Umahi said the first section, measuring 47.47 kilometres from Victoria Island in Lagos, had been completed and was awaiting commissioning.

He added that construction of the dual pavement on section two, which covers 55 kilometres and ends at the Lagos-Ogun boundary, was expected to be completed the following month.

The minister said the ministry had revised the designs of flyovers, overpasses and underpasses along the route, particularly near the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Seaport, to minimise traffic conflicts around the major infrastructure facilities.

In Calabar, Umahi said sections 3A and 3B, which jointly cover 65 kilometres, had recorded more than 30 percent completion.

He also disclosed that construction was progressing on section five, an 82-kilometre dual carriageway in Akwa Ibom state, alongside an 88-kilometre road linking Calabar to Ebidi beach to connect with the Trans-Saharan route.

Umahi said route surveys and procurement processes were underway for a 129-kilometre dual carriageway stretching from the Edo-Delta boundary to the Delta-Bayelsa boundary, with work scheduled to commence in November.

He identified other ongoing projects in the Niger Delta, including the 15-kilometre Eleme junction-to-Onne road and the 9.7-kilometre Eket bypass.

The minister further said contractors had been mobilised for emergency repairs and reconstruction of the road connecting Akwa Ibom to Calabar through Odukpani. He added that the scope of the contract, previously awarded to CCECC, had been reduced because of funding limitations.