By LYDIA CHIGOZIE-NGWAKWE

The Federal Government has set aside Dec. 12 to Dec. 17 to publicly open Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway for public use.

The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, gave the assurance on Sunday in Lagos during a review of outstanding works on Section 1 of the highway project.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 1 is 47.47km long and has six lanes and two carriageways.

Umahi said: “We also set aside April next year to have Section 1 and half of Section 2 fully completed and commissioned.”

He said that the contractor handling the project, Hitech Construction Company Ltd., had achieved more than 80 per cent of the reinforced concrete pavement.

“We are very grateful to God Almighty for his mercies, and to the President and to the contractor.

“If we are to pay for everything they have done, it will be very difficult to have this job done because there are places we didn’t envisage that we were going to be removing pits up to a depth of 20 metres.

“They had to do that because they are partners in progress for the development of the country.

“We have just about three kilometres to complete the entire sand filling from Ahmadu Bello Way to Eleko Junction, and we are excited at the work and the quality of what has been done,” Umahi said.

The new Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olufemi Dare, told the minister that a lot of settling was ongoing at Chainage 33 of the highway project.

He also praised the contractor for high quality of work.

“Sir, it may interest you to know that the building standing is the palace of this community, and you saved this building, and they are extremely happy,” he said.

The Managing Director of Hitech Construction Company Ltd., Mr Dany Abboud, said that the company would still backfill from Chainage 34 to Chainage 37.

“Dredging is ongoing, we are on track to deliver.

“We are monitoring the settlement in the swampy areas and the water body areas due to the change of alignment,” he said. (NAN)