FG threatens to shut Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in two weeks

The Federal Government of Nigeria has threatened to close the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within two weeks if motorists and other road users do not adhere to safety measures and conditions. Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olufemi Dare, made the announcement during a tour of the highway, citing persistent safety breaches, vandalism, and illegal activities along the route.

The government has an alternative route, the Lekki-Epe Expressway, and emphasized that the coastal highway should not have been opened to traffic before its completion. The Lagos section spans about 103km, with 20 major bridges, 10 in each section, several of which are still under construction. Dare expressed concern over motorists driving at high speeds, despite the prescribed speed limit of 30km per hour.

He warned that lives were being lost almost every other day on the highway and announced plans to increase police deployment along the highway. Authorities have also banned illegal U-turns, Okada motorcycles, tricycles, hawking, and animal grazing along the highway, and are considering replacing existing fencing with concrete barriers due to widespread vandalism.