The construction of the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway has commenced, according to a statement by the Minister of Works, David Umahi. This development follows the approval of a N1.067 trillion contract for the initial phase of the highway's construction by the Federal Executive Council a week ago. The dual carriageway spans 47.47km, featuring five lanes on each side and a train track in the middle.

Umahi clarified that the highway, spanning 700km and crossing nine states with two spurs leading north, will be constructed with concrete technology. The route will extend from Lagos through coastal states, including Lagos, the Lekki Deep Seaport, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom, culminating in Cross Rivers. Originally designed as a public-private partnership, financial constraints on the contractor's part led the minister to seek Federal Executive Council approval to proceed with the project.

On Tuesday, the minister engaged in talks with the African Development Bank to explore financing options for expediting the delivery of the project. According to the statement, the contractor commenced the project following the official handover of the initial phase, consisting of 47.47 kilometers of dual carriageway, to Hitech Construction Company Ltd.

Umahi, accompanied by Olukorede Keisha, the Federal Ministry of Works' Controller for Lagos State, emphasized the imperative for contractors involved in Federal Government road projects to ensure swift and timely completion, stressing that the government will not tolerate delays or sluggish progress once mobilization has been initiated.

He praised Hitech Construction Company Nigeria Limited for their commendable reputation in delivering high-quality work promptly. Umahi acknowledged their swift response, commencing work immediately after securing the contract.

In his words, "They have completed some filling of 1.3 kilometres from the day the project was awarded to them. It shows the speed they are going to deploy for this project. Within a couple of weeks, we awarded the project to them, they mobilised a lot of dredging equipment, and you can see that they have recovered 1.3 kilometres of section one of the phase."

The former governor of Ebonyi State visited various project sites, including Queen's Drive Ikoyi, Third Mainland Bridge top deck, the underwater section, Eko Bridge, and Carter Bridge. He affirmed the Federal Government's commitment to conducting a comprehensive rehabilitation of these critical bridges, vital links connecting the Mainland and Island of Lagos, the nation's economic hub. The repairs are anticipated to encompass both the bridge's top structure and the substructure.He mentioned, "At the Third Mainland Bridge, we have three or four critical elements slated for rehabilitation. The first involves the deck, spanning approximately 11 kilometers, constituting a dual carriageway, including the ramps, which has been skillfully executed by CCECC. Although significant progress has been made, the final touches, including asphalt milling and asphalting, will be concluded by the end of March.

Furthermore, he outlined additional commitments to enhance the bridge's features. These include the installation of guardrails, replacement of conventional lights with solar-powered lights, incorporation of decorative lighting, and the integration of CCTV cameras both above and beneath the bridge to address security concerns and illegal sand mining causing scouring on the piles and pipes.

He elaborated on the second aspect of the project, involving the inspection of deflected sections of the slab. An expert will assess the deflection of the tendons of the slab, necessitating the cutting open of slabs for scrutiny, scooping, and reinstating the tendons. This procedure has been successfully executed at Eko Bridge by Buildwell, assuring the public that there is no cause for concern.

Umahi expressed appreciation for the ongoing efforts by Julius Berger Nigeria and commended their contributions.

The State Controller of the Federal Ministry of Works, as well as representatives from Hitech Construction Nigeria Ltd, Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, and Buildwell Nigeria Limited, assured the minister of their commitment to delivering the project to the highest standards.