THE NATION
The security and aesthetic features of the 750-kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will be enhanced with lay-bys and closed-circuit video cameras, among other innovations, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, has said.
According to the Minister, the lay-bys will serve as hubs for security apparatus, including vehicles, to ensure rapid responses to emergencies along the highway.
He also disclosed that the project would undergo a review to address unforeseen challenges and align with emerging environmental realities.
Umahi, during an inspection of Sections I and II of the project in Lagos on Friday, commended the landmark infrastructure development under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, praising his vision for initiating legacy projects aimed at connecting critical economic corridors and enhancing the transportation ecosystem across the six geo-political zones.
The Minister also acknowledged the President’s commitment to funding the Works sector, despite competing demands from other priority areas of the economy.
Highlighting the transformative potential of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other legacy projects, Umahi announced plans to review the contract to incorporate features that would enhance its socio-economic impact.
He said: “We’re going to plant trees. And of course, we are going to also have some lay bay. We can decide every five kilometres we have a lay bay where we connect all our CCTV cameras.
“And then we have vehicles and the security within the cabin there so that the response time will be like 10 minutes.
“You’ve witnessed what we did at Third Mainland Bridge. That’s what we intend to replicate in all our highways. And so the entire stretch of 750 kilometres to Calabar will be under CCTV, powered by solar.
“And then every five kilometres or 10 or 15, as we may agree, we will have portacabins where we have security posts, no blocking of the roads, we have viewing centres, and then you view the entire stretch left and right. We will agree on the number of kilometres, depending on the capacity of the cameras.”
On the President’s commitment to the road infrastructure revolution, he said, “The President has given very serious attention to road infrastructure. Don’t forget that this Coastal Highway and, of course, the four Legacy Projects all have the train track incorporated.
“The construction of the train track for this section I is going to take off in 2025.
“So this is what we are doing. And we believe strongly that the President is going to give the nation of Nigeria the road infrastructure that they have been yearning for.”
Commending the quality and progress of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, handled by Hitech Construction Company Ltd, the Minister described it as a hallmark of excellence and innovation, noting that the original contract had been modified to include service lanes and address unforeseen challenges such as debris removal.
Umahi noted that the four Renewed Hope legacy projects, along with the inherited ongoing projects, were progressing as planned, emphasizing that milestone-based execution was adopted to promote fairness across the six geo-political zones…
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