The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has assured that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is being built to endure flooding and climate-related challenges for the next 50 years.
Speaking during a stakeholder engagement on Section 2 of the project on Sunday in Lagos, Umahi said the design incorporates features that will make the highway resilient and long-lasting.
“We will make sure that our pavement level is going to counter any climate change,”; the minister stated, noting that the pavement height would match the first-floor level of many surrounding buildings.
Umahi added that retaining boards are already under construction to secure the road structure, while cable ducts have been included in the design to prevent utility companies from tampering with the pavement.
“MTN, African Plus or any other network doesn’t have to cut the road. The cables are there, I saw them,”; he said.
He also revealed that CCTV cameras will be installed throughout the highway to enable a response time of less than five minutes to any emergency.
“There would be trees all through on the road to make it exciting,”; he added.
Umahi pointed to a major flyover under construction at the Dangote Refinery axis. The flyover includes a 60-metre span and a 41.6-metre counterbalance to accommodate heavy truck traffic, an infrastructure he described as a future tourist attraction.
The minister also disclosed plans to establish relief centres along the corridor, where travelers can access fuel stations, supermarkets, and medical facilities.
Umahi expressed gratitude to stakeholders for their support, commending those who attended the engagement out of genuine interest in national development.
