By Desire Emmanuel
Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has warned that Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway may be closed to traffic if indiscipline and reckless driving by motorists continue to endanger lives and disrupt construction work.
Umahi spoke in Lagos during parade of suspected vandals of cat’s-eye reflective lights on the Third Mainland Bridge.
Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway was temporarily opened to traffic during the Yuletide to ease traffic and improve movement of commuters.
The minister said the temporary opening was meant to provide relief for road users while construction work continued on the project.
However, he said the situation deteriorated due to traffic indiscipline, including driving against traffic and excessive speeding.
“You will recall what happened during the Christmas period when motorists drove against traffic.
“We recorded one death and experienced serious traffic congestion due to indiscipline,” Umahi said.
He said that what was intended to reduce congestion became a nightmare, stressing that both the leadership and the citizens shared responsibility for national development.
Umahi disclosed that the ministry considered closing the road in December but President Bola Tinubu directed that it should remain open.
The minister said the situation worsened recently when a contractor’s worker was killed by a speeding vehicle while working on the shoulder of the road, which was off the main carriageway.
According to him, a vehicle travelling at high speed knocked down two concrete solar poles, veered off the road, and killed the worker instantly.
Umahi said he was meeting with the contractor to address safety concerns, noting that construction work could be suspended if the lives of workers would not be adequately protected.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Works would work with the Lagos State Government, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and security agencies to deploy personnel to control traffic and secure the construction area.
The minister warned that if wrong-way driving and excessive speeding would persist after one week, the Federal Government would have no option but to close Section One of the highway until completion of construction.
“The choice is for all of us to make,” he said.
On marked buildings, Umahi clarified reports that buildings were marked for demolition on the completed corridor of the coastal road.
He apologised to affected residents, saying that the markings were done in error and not by the federal ministry of works.
According to him, land acquisition for public interest is the responsibility of the Office of the Surveyor-General.
He gave the assurance that the error had been corrected.
Umahi said only empty federal government lands, including areas within 250 metres of the shoreline and approved road corridors, were being processed for acquisition through the Lagos State Government.
He added that the surveyor-general had directed that any wrongful markings on completed buildings should be removed immediately, assuring residents that there was no instruction to demolish their houses.
