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 stop safety violations on the route.
The warning came from the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olufemi Dare, who said the directive followed mounting concerns over speeding, illegal parking, vandalism and other activities endangering lives on the highway.
Dare said the Minister of Works, David Umahi, had ordered the ministry to return in two weeks and close the highway if there was no significant improvement.
The controller said the situation had become particularly dangerous because motorists were driving at speeds of up to 120km/h despite a 30km/h limit on sections where construction is still ongoing.
He said the government could no longer tolerate reckless driving, illegal U-turns, truck parking, motorcycles, tricycles, roadside trading and other activities capable of causing accidents.
According to Dare, lives have already been lost on the road, with accidents occurring frequently.
He disclosed that the Lagos State Police Command had increased its presence on the highway following discussions between Umahi and the Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani.
Dare also warned truck and trailer operators against turning the highway into a parking ground, saying vehicles found parked illegally would be towed away and offenders prosecuted.
More than 100 Okada riders were reportedly arrested on the highway the previous week, while motorcycles and tricycles have been barred from using the route.
The government is also battling widespread vandalism. Dare said about five kilometres of protective fencing had been removed, while concrete drainage covers covering roughly 18km had been vandalised and stolen.
He said the ministry was considering replacing the fencing with concrete walls in areas repeatedly targeted by vandals.
Illegal settlements, hawking and animal grazing are also set to face enforcement action, with at least 10 illegal settlements reportedly identified along the highway.
The government is considering CCTV surveillance and has approved 40 coastal guards for the first section of the road. The guards will be drawn from communities along the route and work with the police.
Dare said the recruitment and deployment of the guards would be completed within two weeks.
He also announced plans for a joint task force to clear trucks using the Gypsy Port area as an illegal parking facility.
The Lagos section of the coastal highway covers about 103km, divided into sections of approximately 47km and 56km. Bridge construction remains ongoing, with 20 major bridges planned across the two sections.
Dare said the first section of the road itself was 100 per cent completed, although bridge works were still ongoing.
The controller urged motorists and residents to obey the new safety directives, warning that enforcement would be intensified.
“It’s not going to be business as usual,” he said.
The latest warning is not the first threat to shut the highway over safety concerns. In January, Umahi said the Federal Government had considered closing the route after a construction worker died, but President Bola Tinubu directed that it remain open to ease traffic.
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