The Federal Ministry of Works has threatened to shut the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within two weeks if road users fail to comply with safety regulations and illegal activities along the route are not brought under control.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Engineer Olufemi Dare, gave the warning on Monday during a press briefing on persistent safety and security concerns along the coastal highway.
Dare said the Minister of Works had directed him to issue the warning following continued incidents of speeding, illegal parking by trucks, unauthorised U-turns, vandalism and the use of the highway by commercial motorcycles and tricycles.
He said the highway remains under construction and should ordinarily not have been opened to motorists before the completion of major bridges along the route.
“Construction is still ongoing on this road. Ordinarily, we ought not to have opened it until all the bridges are completed,” Dare said.
According to him, the Lagos portion of the coastal highway consists of two sections covering about 103 kilometres, with 20 major bridges planned across both sections.
Dare said motorists had been directed to observe a maximum speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour on the highway, particularly around construction areas.
However, he expressed concern that some motorists were driving at speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour despite the warning signs and ongoing construction activities.
“We have said your speed on the coastal road must not be more than 30 kilometres per hour,” he said.
Dare said the Federal Government was particularly concerned about the loss of lives on the highway, warning that enforcement measures would be intensified.
“If there’s no improvement on all these issues within two weeks, the Minister will have no option than to come back and shut this road down,” he said.
The Federal Controller also warned truck and articulated-vehicle operators against parking on the highway, saying the police would intensify enforcement along the route.
“Police are coming en masse. So, if you park your truck on the coastal road, it will be towed away,” Dare said.
He also announced a ban on illegal U-turns, commercial motorcycles, tricycles and other unauthorised vehicles on the coastal highway.
According to him, more than 100 commercial motorcycles were arrested on the route during the previous week as part of enforcement operations.
Dare also raised concerns over the vandalisation of road infrastructure, including protective fencing, directional signs and manhole covers.
He said about five kilometres of protective fencing had been removed, while manhole covers had been stolen along an estimated 18-kilometre stretch of the highway.
He alleged that the materials were being removed at night and warned that security agencies would intensify efforts to arrest those involved.
The Federal Controller further announced plans to reorganise and strengthen the coastal guard under the direct supervision of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police.
He said members of communities along the highway would be involved in monitoring and protecting infrastructure within their areas.
Dare also warned against animal grazing, hawking and the establishment of illegal settlements along the highway.
He said the government would no longer tolerate activities that could endanger motorists, damage road infrastructure or interfere with ongoing construction.
The Federal Government urged motorists and other road users to comply with the safety regulations, particularly the 30-kilometre-per-hour speed limit, as enforcement operations are intensified across the Lagos section of the coastal highway.
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