The Federal Government has threatened to shut the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within two weeks if motorists and other road users fail to comply with safety regulations and other violations along the route persist.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olufemi Dare, issued the warning on Monday during an inspection of the highway, saying the directive followed concerns raised by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, over repeated safety breaches, vandalism and other illegal activities.
Dare said the government would have no option but to close the highway if there was no significant improvement within the two-week period.
He explained that the road was still under construction and should ordinarily not have been opened to traffic before the completion of the bridges. However, motorists have been using the route despite ongoing construction activities.
According to him, the prescribed speed limit on the highway is 30 kilometres per hour because of the construction work, particularly around bridge locations. He expressed concern that some motorists were driving at speeds of up to 100 or 120 kilometres per hour.
Dare said the government was particularly worried about the frequency of accidents and reported deaths along the highway, warning that continued disregard for safety regulations could no longer be tolerated.
The Lagos section of the coastal highway stretches approximately 103 kilometres and is divided into two sections. Section One covers about 47 kilometres, while Section Two extends for approximately 56 kilometres.
There are 20 major bridges across the two sections in Lagos, with 10 bridges in each section, several of which are still under construction.
The Federal Controller also raised concerns about the parking of trailers and other articulated vehicles along the highway. He warned truck drivers against using the road as a temporary parking area and said vehicles found parked illegally could be towed away.
Other violations identified by the government include illegal U-turns, vandalism of road infrastructure, hawking, illegal settlements, grazing and the use of motorcycles and tricycles on the highway.
The government said about 18 kilometres of drainage covers and at least five kilometres of Clearview fencing had reportedly been removed by vandals. Authorities are considering replacing some of the fencing with block walls in locations where vandalism has been persistent.
Dare also disclosed that the government was working towards installing closed-circuit television cameras along the highway to strengthen surveillance.
On security, he said the Ministry of Works had engaged the Lagos State Police Command over the situation, with increased police deployment already commencing along the route.
The government is also working on strengthening the existing coastal guard arrangement. Dare said 40 coastal guards had already been commissioned, while additional personnel would be drawn from communities along the highway to assist with monitoring and reporting security concerns.
The Federal Government said it had identified at least 10 illegal settlements along the highway and expressed concern that some of the locations could provide cover for criminal activities.
More than 100 motorcycle riders were reportedly arrested in the preceding week for operating illegally along the route.
Dare said the Lekki-Epe Expressway remains an alternative route should the coastal highway be shut.
The government is therefore giving motorists and other road users two weeks to comply with the regulations and improve safety practices before it decides whether to close the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
