Umahi: Flooding Won’t Affect Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway

Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has dismissed fears that the ongoing flooding could jeopardize the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, stating that the project was designed to withstand such conditions. Speaking at the weekend, Umahi denied assertions that the highway itself was causing the floods affecting parts of Lagos State.

"The Coastal Highway is not flooded and will never get flooded," he firmly declared. According to Umahi, comprehensive studies conducted prior to the project's commencement revealed that the highway needed to be elevated above the prevailing flood level due to the fact that many structures along the route were built decades ago when flood levels were considerably lower.

He explained that the highway stretches between the ocean and the lagoon, and that numerous properties in the area date back to a time when flood levels were lower. These findings guided the decision to build the highway at a higher elevation rather than at the existing building level. Umahi confirmed that the road was raised above the flood level as a result of these findings.