The Federal Government has threatened to shut the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within two weeks if motorists and other road users fail to comply with prescribed safety measures and conditions along the route do not improve.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olufemi Dare, issued the warning on Monday, September 21, during an inspection tour of the ongoing coastal highway project.
Dare said the decision followed a directive from the Minister of Works, David Umahi, amid concerns over persistent safety violations, vandalism and other illegal activities taking place along the highway.
According to him, the government would not continue to allow activities capable of endangering motorists, construction workers and other road users or damaging infrastructure along the project corridor.
Among the violations identified by the Federal Controller were excessive speeding, indiscriminate parking by trucks and other articulated vehicles, illegal U-turns, the use of motorcycles and tricycles on restricted sections, roadside trading and other activities considered unsafe.
Dare expressed particular concern about motorists exceeding the prescribed speed limit on sections of the highway where construction work is still ongoing.
He said some motorists had been observed driving at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour despite prominent signs indicating that vehicles should not exceed 30km/h on the affected sections.
The Federal Government’s concern, he said, was heightened by reports of accidents and fatalities along the highway, which he attributed in part to motorists’ failure to observe traffic regulations.
“We have said your speed on the coastal road must not be more than 30km/h. It is well written everywhere. But people will come here and go at 100km/h. This cannot continue. Lives are being lost on the coastal road. Almost every other day,” Dare said.
He warned that the government could be forced to close the Lagos section of the highway temporarily if road users failed to comply with the safety requirements.
“Within two weeks, if there’s no improvement on all these issues, then we have no option but to come back and shut down this road,” he added.
The proposed closure is expected to be considered as a safety measure to protect lives and prevent further incidents while construction activities continue.
The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is one of the Federal Government’s major ongoing road infrastructure projects and is intended to connect communities and economic centres along Nigeria’s coastline.
However, construction on an active highway presents particular safety challenges because motorists share sections of the route with construction equipment, workers and temporary traffic management arrangements.
The Federal Controller therefore urged motorists and other road users to cooperate with the authorities by adhering strictly to speed limits and other traffic regulations.
He also warned truck and articulated vehicle operators against parking illegally on the highway, while other road users were advised to avoid unauthorised activities that could obstruct traffic or interfere with construction operations.
Dare said the government’s priority was to ensure that construction could continue without exposing motorists, workers and surrounding communities to unnecessary risks.
He stressed that compliance with the safety measures was not optional, particularly while construction work remained active along parts of the highway.
The Federal Government is expected to monitor the situation over the next two weeks to determine whether road users have complied with the directives.
If the violations persist, authorities may proceed with the threatened closure of the affected Lagos section of the coastal highway.
The warning comes as the government continues efforts to balance the progress of the major infrastructure project with the need to protect lives and safeguard the highway from activities capable of causing accidents or damaging newly constructed facilities.
