Umahi Defends Ondo Coastal Highway Diversion, Cites Difficult Terrain

Minister of Works David Umahi has defended the Federal Government’s decision to divert sections of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Ondo State, citing difficult terrain, deep pits and the high cost of construction along the original route.

Umahi spoke in Abuja while providing an update on the Federal Government’s major road projects, insisting that the change followed engineering assessments and was intended to ensure value for public funds.

He acknowledged receiving petitions over the diversion but said the government had no regrets about the decision, adding that public scrutiny was part of the responsibility of those in office.

According to the minister, the original alignment passed through areas with pits exceeding 100 metres in depth and lacked suitable sharp sand at depths of up to 300 metres, conditions that would have substantially increased construction costs.

He said the ministry therefore redesigned the route to avoid the difficult terrain. The alternative alignment requires filling some areas to depths exceeding 10 metres, with the work reportedly nearing completion.

The diversion affects Sections 4A and 4B of the highway, covering 67 kilometres, comprising 27 kilometres in Ogun State and about 40 kilometres in Ondo State. The section is expected to terminate around the Ondo-Edo axis.

The decision has attracted opposition from some coastal communities and stakeholders, who have called for the original route to be retained and demanded a public explanation of the engineering and financial considerations behind the change.

Providing an update on other parts of the project, Umahi said Section One, covering 47.47 kilometres from Victoria Island in Lagos, had been completed and was ready for commissioning. He added that the dual pavement on Section Two, spanning 55 kilometres to the Lagos-Ogun boundary, was expected to be completed in November.

The minister said additional flyovers, overpasses and underpasses had been redesigned around the Dangote Refinery and Lekki Deep Seaport to resolve traffic conflicts involving major infrastructure projects.

At the Calabar end, Umahi said Sections 3A and 3B, covering 65 kilometres, had achieved more than 30 per cent completion, while work continued on an 82-kilometre dual carriageway in Akwa Ibom State.

He also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had directed that the continuation of the coastal highway from Ondo into Edo State should follow the existing East-West Road rather than a new alignment.

Umahi said parts of the existing road would need to be raised by about two metres to address current and anticipated flooding. The proposed 104-kilometre Ondo-Edo corridor includes a 45-kilometre Benin Bypass intended to reduce traffic congestion within Benin City.

The minister added that route surveys and procurement were ongoing for a 129-kilometre dual carriageway linking the Edo-Delta boundary to the Delta-Bayelsa boundary, with construction expected to begin in November.

He urged residents of the Niger Delta to recognise the Federal Government’s infrastructure interventions, maintaining that the highway realignment was intended to address engineering challenges and improve regional connectivity.