Coastal Highway Will Be Re-routed to East-West Road over Difficult Terrain — Umahi

Minister of Works David Umahi has explained that the Federal Government will redirect part of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to connect with the existing East-West Road, citing difficult terrain, construction challenges and flooding risks along the original route.

Umahi disclosed the revised alignment during a briefing in Abuja on the Federal Government’s major infrastructure projects. He said President Bola Tinubu had approved the decision to integrate the coastal highway with the existing road corridor instead of constructing an entirely new alignment through parts of the Ondo-Edo axis.

The minister explained that sections of the original route in Ondo State presented significant engineering challenges, including deep pits, unsuitable subsoil conditions and a shortage of appropriate construction materials.

According to him, some pits along the proposed alignment exceeded 100 metres in depth, making construction substantially more expensive and technically demanding.

Umahi said the ministry therefore undertook a redesign to avoid the most difficult sections and improve the durability and cost-effectiveness of the project.

He added that the revised route would incorporate the existing East-West Road in parts of the Niger Delta, with sections of the road to be raised by approximately two metres in locations vulnerable to flooding.

The minister said the adjustment was intended to protect the infrastructure against current and anticipated flood levels associated with changing environmental conditions.

He also disclosed that a 45-kilometre Benin City Bypass would form part of the wider road network, helping motorists avoid the congested urban centre and improving movement around the city.

The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s major infrastructure projects, designed to improve connectivity across Nigeria’s coastal states and facilitate the movement of people and goods.

Umahi said the project’s first section, covering approximately 47.47 kilometres from Victoria Island in Lagos towards Eleko, had been completed and was awaiting commissioning. Work was also progressing on other sections of the highway.

The route adjustment comes amid public scrutiny of the project’s alignment, construction costs and environmental implications. The minister maintained that the changes were driven by engineering considerations and the need to ensure value for public funds.

The Federal Government is expected to continue construction and rehabilitation works along the affected corridors as part of its broader transport infrastructure programme.