The Federal Government has renamed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway after President Bola Tinubu, saying the project traces its origin to an idea he conceived during his time as governor of Lagos State nearly three decades ago.
The announcement was made on Thursday in Abuja by the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, during a media briefing where he also gave updates on major road projects across the country.
According to the minister, the decision to name the highway after the president was taken by the Ministry of Works following consultations within the ministry. He said the move was made in recognition of Tinubu’s role in initiating the vision that later developed into the ongoing coastal highway project.
Umahi explained that the idea for the highway was first conceived about 27 years ago while Tinubu served as governor of Lagos State. He said the project has now become a reality under Tinubu’s administration after years of planning and development.
The minister also disclosed that President Tinubu has approved the extension of the Fourth Legacy Highway by another 400 kilometres, bringing the planned route to about 1,100 kilometres.
He added that the president also approved the reconstruction of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway using reinforced concrete pavement, the completion of the Ibi Bridge project in Taraba State, the construction of the 5.76-kilometre Lau Bridge and the dualisation of an additional 400 kilometres of the East-West Road.
Providing an update on the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, Umahi said construction is progressing across different sections of the project. He explained that the first phase, stretching from Victoria Island to Eleko Village in Lagos, is being used as the model for the entire highway, while work on the second section from Eleko to the Lagos-Ogun boundary has reached about 60 per cent completion and is expected to be largely completed by November.
He further stated that construction activities are also ongoing in Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ogun and Ondo states as work continues on different parts of the coastal highway.
The government said the project remains one of its major road infrastructure programmes aimed at improving transportation and connectivity across the southern corridor of the country.