THE Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, says the Federal Authorities has no regret over decisions taken on the Ondo part of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Umahi acknowledged this in Abuja on Wednesday whereas giving an replace on the Federal Authorities’s legacy street tasks, notably the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He stated the decisions regarding the Ondo part have been primarily based on sound engineering concerns and aimed toward making certain 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 resolution to realign the route was obligatory due to the troublesome terrain.
In keeping with him, the ministry fastidiously assessed the terrain earlier than deciding to change the alignment of the street with a view to overcome vital building challenges.
“Now we have no regret for decisions taken at Ondo. For us, it’s their proper to jot down a petition; it’s my proper to take the suitable resolution.
“When folks topic me to public scrutiny by asking me what’s the value per kilometre, you need me to go by way of a terrain that has over 100 metres of pits deep with no outlined sharp sand to 300 metres.
“But you anticipate the price of one kilometre of route passing by way of a traditional terrain to be the identical value 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 virtually accomplished.
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 street building might proceed.
He stated the engineering intervention was obligatory to offer a secure basis for the highway and make sure the sturdiness of the street 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 way of Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
He disclosed that Part One of many highway, masking 47.47 kilometres, had been absolutely accomplished and was prepared for commissioning.
He added that Part Two, masking 55 kilometres, would have its pavement accomplished by November, whereas building of main flyovers, underpasses and overpasses would proceed.
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 street 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.
Umahi disclosed that greater than 30 per cent of the 65-kilometre Sections 3A and 3B had been accomplished, describing the mission as “very lovely” as a result of it connects current roads and routes.
He additionally stated building work was ongoing on Part 5 in Akwa Ibom State, masking about 82 kilometres.
The minister stated President Tinubu had authorized the continuation of the coastal highway by way of the present East-West Highway slightly than creating a brand new alignment from Ondo into Edo.
He described the choice as one of many president’s “great engineering decisions,” saying it could tackle recurring flooding alongside the route.
“We now have to lift the East-West Highway in lots of places by two metres, so that we are going to be above the current flood stage and in addition anticipated local weather change,” Umahi stated.
He stated the Benin bypass, masking 45 kilometres, would eradicate the necessity for motorists to go by way of the congested Benin Metropolis city centre, thereby decreasing journey time and boosting financial actions within the metropolis.
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 tasks, together with the 1,068-kilometre Sokoto-Badagry Highway, Trans-Sahara route and Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano street.
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 components of the nation.
He defined that the legacy tasks have been structured as funding tasks with the Federal Authorities offering 30 per cent counterpart funding in naira and 70 per cent coming from exterior financing.
Umahi stated returns on the tasks can be generated by way of tolling and different investments throughout the corridors, together with industrial, tourism, housing and agricultural developments.(NAN)
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Tags: Ondo Coastal highway
