The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved N1.334 trillion for the commencement of the Calabar and Akwa Ibom session of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.
This was stated by the Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi, after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Umahi said while the Section one and Section two of the Coastal Highway is ongoing in Lagos and Ogun state, the President has directed that work should begin on the Calabar and Akwa Ibom session.
He said, “We have the Lagos-calabar coastal highway, Mr President graciously directed that while the sections one and two are going on within Lagos, section one Lagos and section two Lagos boundary of Ogun state, that we should start another section in Calabar and Akwa Ibom.
“That is what we have done and it’s about 65 kilometer by two dualized, the project is going to cost us N1.334 trillion for a total kilometer of 130 kilometers and of course, it’s on EPC plus 10. so that has been approved by FEC.
The Minister also went further to explain other approvals given by FEC including, the Ado-Ekiti and Igede projects, totalling approximately N5.4bn, adding that six projects valued at around N102bn, including one in Egbeda in Lagos State and another along the Abuja–Lokoja corridor.
He lamented that parts of the Abuja–Lokoja road constructed by RCC and Dantata & Sawoe are failing, a development the contractors attributed to high temperatures.
The Minister, however, disagreed with the contractors, but disclosed that those sections were being rebuilt.
“If you go to the Abuja-Lokoja road, some of the sections done by RCC and Dantata & Sawoe are folding, and when they were confronted, they said it was high temperature, but that is not the truth.
“So, that aspect is being redone. Then we have roads in Ogun, another project in Ekiti state, and finally one in Katsina state,” he stated.
Umahi said plans were on to evaluate the pile foundations of the Third Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge in Lagos.
According to him, “An initial assessment in 2009 identified deterioration and a follow-up in 2013 showed a progressive decline of the concrete piles.
Speaking on the Abuja–Kano road, Umahi said the contract with Julius Berger was terminated, prompting the government to split the work into two lots—Section 1 from the FCT–Niger State boundary (with an additional 5.71 kilometres toward Kogi State) and Section 3 in Kano (extended by 17 kilometres).
In total, this 118-kilometer span will have solar lighting along its length, which is estimated at N252bn. Most of it will be built with concrete, except Section 3, which we will use asphalt, he explained
