Federal Government don warn say e fit shut down the Lagos section of Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within two weeks if motorists and other road users no comply with safety measures and if authorities no see significant improvement along the route.
Olufemi Dare, wey be Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, issue the warning on Monday when e dey address journalists during inspection tour of the highway. E talk say David Umahi, Minister of Works, direct the decision after persistent safety breaches, vandalism and other illegal activities on the road.
Dare tok say, ‘Within two weeks, if there’s no improvement on all these issues, then we have no option than to come back and shut down this road.’ E explain say government get alternative for Lekki-Epe Expressway, and say the coastal highway still dey under construction. According to am, ordinarily dem no suppose open the road to traffic before completion of its bridges.
The Lagos section of the coastal highway get two sections wey span about 103 kilometres. Section 1 cover 47.474 kilometres, while Section 2 extend for about 56 kilometres. Dare say 20 major bridges dey along the two sections in Lagos, 10 for each section, and several of dem still dey under construction.
E raise concern say motorists dey drive at high speed on road where construction activities dey go on, despite prescribed speed limit of 30 kilometres per hour. ‘People who come to coastal road and get to a speed of 120 kilometres per hour on the coastal road, and where constructions are going on, bridges, construction are going on,’ he tok. ‘We have said your speed on the coastal road must not be more than 30 kilometres per hour.’ Dare add say lives dey lost on the coastal road almost every other day, and government no go allow the situation continue.
The controller also warn articulated vehicles against parking along the highway, saying trucks and trailers dey use as temporary parking spaces by some drivers. He tok say government don reach agreement with Lagos State Police Command to increase police deployment along the highway. The increased security presence follow meetings between the works minister and Fatai Tijani, Lagos commissioner of police. ‘Beginning from this morning, we’ve started to see the improvement in deployment of police. And we are going to have more,’ Dare tok.
He warn against illegal U-turns created along the highway, saying anybody dem arrest for the offence go face prosecution. Okada motorcycles, tricycles, hawking and animal grazing don also banned along the highway, according to the controller. ‘We don’t want Okada motorcycles, tricycles. We don’t want them on the coastal road,’ he tok. Authorities go also move against people living in shanties and other illegal structures along the highway.
Dare say vandalism of safety infrastructure don become major challenge, with sections of protective fencing and other installations removed at night. He tok say at least five kilometres of ClearVu fencing don removed, while about 18 kilometres of concrete covers don also vandalised and taken away. ‘They come in the night, they remove the ClearVu fence that was used to barricade the communities from the coastal highway,’ he tok. Government dey consider replacing steel ClearVu fencing with concrete barriers for vulnerable areas, because current fencing fit removed easily by vandals. ‘We have to change the strategy. In areas where we have block work today, we do not have any problem with them,’ Dare tok.
He tok say government also dey work on deployment of CCTV cameras to improve surveillance. Government don approve recruitment of 40 members of coastal guard for first section of the highway, with four expected from each community along the route. The guards go work directly with police and provide community-level surveillance, while additional personnel go recruited for Section 2. Some previously engaged coastal guards don attacked by vandals, making stronger police protection necessary. The controller add say authorities dey plan to reorganise and train the coastal guard under direct supervision of Lagos State Police Command.
