The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, says the federal authorities has no regrets over decisions taken on the Ondo part of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Mr Umahi acknowledged this in Abuja on Wednesday whereas giving an replace on the federal authorities’s legacy highway initiatives, significantly the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He stated the decisions regarding the Ondo part had been primarily based on sound engineering concerns and geared toward guaranteeing the profitable supply of the mission.
The minister stated the Ondo part had attracted petitions alleging diversion of the mission, however maintained that the ministry’s determination to realign the route was vital due to the troublesome terrain.
According to him, the ministry rigorously assessed the terrain earlier than deciding to change the alignment of the highway so as to overcome vital building challenges.
“We have no remorse for decisions taken at Ondo. For us, it’s their proper to write down a petition; it’s my proper to take the best determination.
“When folks topic me to public scrutiny by asking me what’s the value per kilometre, you need me to cross by a terrain that has over 100 metres of pits deep with no outlined sharp sand to 300 metres.
“Yet you expect the cost of one kilometre of route passing through a normal terrain to be the same cost with that?” he requested.
He stated the ministry had due to this fact redesigned the path to keep away from deep pits and different troublesome terrain, including that filling work within the affected space was nearly accomplished.
Mr Umahi defined that the development course of concerned eradicating pits of greater than 10 metres deep and filling them with sharp sand earlier than the precise highway building might proceed.
He stated the engineering intervention was vital to supply a secure basis for the highway and make sure the sturdiness of the highway infrastructure.
The minister described the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as President Bola Tinubu’s first legacy mission, saying it runs from Victoria Island in Lagos by Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
He disclosed that Section One of the highway, overlaying 47.47 kilometres, had been absolutely accomplished and was prepared for commissioning.
He added that Section Two, overlaying 55 kilometres, would have its pavement accomplished by November, whereas building of main flyovers, underpasses and overpasses would proceed.
Mr Umahi attributed some delays within the building of the flyovers to intensive subsoil investigations, redesigns and the necessity to accommodate heavy vans serving the Dangote Refinery.
He stated the ministry had additionally redesigned a serious flyover to resolve a battle involving the deep-sea port railway, refinery service routes and different highway networks.
On Sections 4A and 4B, the minister stated the mission lined 67 kilometres, comprising 27 kilometres in Ogun State and about 40 kilometres in Ondo State.
He stated building work was ongoing on the Ondo portion, including that the mission would terminate across the Ondo-Edo axis.
Mr Umahi disclosed that greater than 30 per cent of the 65-kilometre Sections 3A and 3B had been accomplished, describing the mission as “very beautiful” as a result of it connects present roads and routes.
He additionally stated building work was ongoing on Section Five in Akwa Ibom State, overlaying about 82 kilometres.
The minister stated President Tinubu had authorised the continuation of the coastal highway by the prevailing East-West Road quite than creating a brand new alignment from Ondo into Edo.
He described the choice as one of many president’s “wonderful engineering decisions,” saying it will deal with recurring flooding alongside the route.
“We now have to raise the East-West Road in many locations by two metres, so that we will be above the present flood level and also expected climate change,” Mr Umahi stated.
READ ALSO: Coastal road: Lagos community fears fresh demolitions over 150m setback
He stated the Benin bypass, overlaying 45 kilometres, would remove the necessity for motorists to cross by the congested Benin City city centre, thereby lowering journey time and boosting financial actions within the metropolis.
Mr Umahi additionally introduced that the 129-kilometre Delta part, from the Edo-Delta boundary to the Delta-Bayelsa boundary, was present process route survey and procurement and would start by November, topic to the completion of due course of.
The minister stated the federal authorities was additionally progressing with different legacy initiatives, together with the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Highway, Trans-Sahara route and Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano highway.
He added that the Ilela part of the Sokoto-Badagry Highway was about 60 per cent accomplished regardless of safety challenges, whereas the 258-kilometre Kebbi part and 62.35-kilometre Badagry part had recorded greater than 40 per cent progress.
He stated the federal government was additionally implementing the Trans-Sahara mission linking the South-east, North-central and different elements of the nation.
He defined that the legacy initiatives had been structured as funding initiatives with the federal authorities offering 30 per cent counterpart funding in naira and 70 per cent coming from exterior financing.
Mr Umahi stated returns on the initiatives can be generated by tolling and different investments inside the corridors, together with industrial, tourism, housing and agricultural developments.
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