The Lagos-Calabar Highway construction is expected to be completed in January 2026. This information was revealed by the Minister of Works Sen. Dave Umahi. Umahi disclosed this information during an inspection tour he made at the project’s site on Wednesday.
“We are here to inspect the project with the financial promoters – Dutch Bank and Development Bank of Southern Africa,” he stated.
Lagos-Calabar Highway Project Factsheet
Length: The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is a 700-kilometer (approximately 435 miles).
Location: aims to connect Victoria Island in Lagos State to Calabar in Cross River State, traversing through nine coastal states: Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, and Cross River.
Current Status and timeline:
- Construction commenced in March 2024 under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
- The first phase, a 47.47-kilometer stretch starting from Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island, Lagos, is reportedly nearing completion and is expected to be completed by May 29, 2025.
Cost and funding:
- The total estimated cost of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is between $11 billion and $12.5 billion
- The cost per kilometer is estimated at ₦4 billion.
- The project follows an Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Financing (EPC+) funding structure.
Also read: Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to cost the taxpayer US$3.2m per kilometre
Contractor:
- The contract for the project was awarded to Hitech Construction Company Ltd.
Key features:
- Dual carriageway with five lanes on each side.
- Central train infrastructure.
- Elevated pavement level designed to withstand floods for up to 50 years.
- Installation of cable ducts for utility companies.
- Closed-circuit television (CCTV) system for enhanced safety and operational efficiency.
- Evacuation corridors to improve traffic flow during emergencies.
- Relief centers along the route with amenities like snack stops, petrol stations, supermarkets, and medical facilities.
- Construction materials chosen for longevity and potential carbon credit earnings.
- Also, a 60-meter flyover under construction at the Dangote Refinery to facilitate truck movement.
Additionally, Umahi said that it was projected that 20km of the road that runs from Ahmadu Bello Way in Lagos would have been finished by May.
Also read: 750-Kilometer Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Foreign Funding Secured
Current Status of the Project
Additionally, Umahi stated that over 70 per cent of the entire project had been done so far.
“Let me say that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project is more than 70 per cent done, and the contractor has not got funds up to 70 per cent.”
“Also, that is why I call them people that have set their minds towards nation-building instead of making money.
Other Projects Along the Corridor
Furthermore, according to Umahi, along the road corridor, there are some tracts of land that have been acquired for purposes of tourism, industries, factories and housing estates.
“These are the road architecture that you are going to receive on this highway.”
“I promise you that by January next year, God willing, we will have completed this Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project,” the minister said.
Also read: 700Km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Construction Commences
