The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway will no longer follow a purely coastal alignment after Lagos and Ogun states.

Instead, it will detour inland through Edo State to join the existing East-West Road, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has said.

Umahi disclosed the change during a recent briefing on major federal road projects. He stated that President Bola Tinubu approved the revised plan, which involves linking the highway from the Ondo-Edo axis to the East-West Road rather than constructing an entirely new coastal alignment into Edo State.

The minister described the decision as “a wonderful engineering decision by Mr President.” He explained that sections of the East-West Road would be raised by up to two metres in flood-prone areas to keep the carriageway above current and projected flood levels linked to climate change.

According to Umahi, the adjustment addresses difficult terrain, deep ground depressions, unsuitable soil conditions (including extensive peat layers), and the high cost of building along the original coastal path in parts of Ondo and beyond.

The diversion affects portions of the route after the Lagos-Ogun section. The project will terminate around the Ondo-Edo axis before connecting to the upgraded East-West corridor, which includes the planned Benin Bypass to ease traffic through Benin City.

Umahi maintained that the Federal Government has no regrets over the realignment decisions, particularly on the Ondo section, insisting they were based on sound engineering assessments rather than other considerations.

Section 1 of the highway (approximately 47.47 kilometres from Victoria Island to Eleko in Lagos) has been completed and is ready for commissioning. Work continues on subsequent sections, with pavement on Section 2 expected to be finished soon.

The announcement has drawn mixed reactions. Some stakeholders in Ondo State have previously criticised the inland shift, arguing that it bypasses coastal communities.