The Federal Government has sought President Bola Tinubu’s approval to extend the East-West Road by an additional 400 kilometres across the Niger Delta, as the Minister of Works, David Umahi, reaffirmed that the 750-kilometre Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway remains on its approved alignment.
Umahi disclosed this after briefing the President, explaining that the proposed extension would connect Edo State through the Niger Delta to Akwa Ibom and Cross River states, while addressing longstanding infrastructure challenges along the corridor.
The proposed expansion comes amid concerns over the condition of parts of the existing East-West Road, which the minister said were constructed below flood level and had consequently suffered damage during flooding.
He cited damage around Abaro in Delta State about three weeks ago, which required the intervention of the state governor, adding that similar problems had occurred in Edo State.
According to Umahi, the additional 400 kilometres would complement the coastal highway and strengthen road connectivity across the oil-producing region. The proposal, however, remains subject to presidential approval.
On the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the minister dismissed suggestions that the project’s route could be altered, insisting that its alignment had been designed and construction was ongoing.
“The 750 coastal highway is intact and cannot be changed, and nobody has the powers to change it, because it is already designed and it is ongoing,” he said.
Umahi explained that surveyors and designers were assessing the highway corridor through Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers states, while construction continued on sections already under development.
Providing a breakdown of progress, he said Section One, covering 147.47 kilometres in Lagos, was under construction, while Section Two was expected to be ready by the middle of November. The latter covers 55 kilometres on each carriageway.
Sections 3A and 3B, spanning about 75 kilometres around Cross River and Akwa Ibom, had recorded more than 40 per cent completion, according to the minister.
He added that Sections 4A and 4B, covering 65 kilometres along the Ogun and Ondo axis, were also under construction, with work extending into Ondo State.
At the Calabar end, Umahi said more than 40 per cent of the project had been completed, while Section Five, covering 62.5 kilometres in Akwa Ibom State, had recorded over 20 per cent completion.
“The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is moving and moving even faster than envisaged,” he said, adding that the government was preparing to construct service lanes to improve accessibility and functionality along the route.
The minister attributed the strategy of executing major legacy road projects from both ends to Tinubu’s directive, saying the approach was intended to advance implementation across the designated corridors.
He also disclosed that the President had expanded the scope of road projects in northern Nigeria from an initial 700 kilometres along the Akwanga–Jos–Bauchi–Gombe–Biu–Maiduguri corridor to approximately 1,100 kilometres, following the inclusion of an additional route through Langtang and Wukari.
Umahi maintained that the expansion of the northern road projects would not affect the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which he said remained under construction along its approved route.
