Lagos: The Federal Government is planning to connect the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway to the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway. The Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, made the disclosure on Wednesday after a comprehensive inspection of the under deck of the Carter Bridge in Lagos State.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Umahi stated, “We are looking at how to go through the Ahmadu Bello Way – the coastal route – and connect it to Snake Island. We have a lot of land within Snake Island and, of course, the NNPC landing depot is there; then we connect it down to Badagry which means that we are connecting the coastal route to the Sokoto Badagry Superhighway through that tunnel.”
He further explained that the tunnel would be 2.9 kilometers long and would connect through Ahmadu Bello Way. He assured that the connection would be seamless, emphasizing that the tunnel would remain hidden until it emerges at Ahmadu Bello Way. The project is set to be the first tunnel in Africa constructed underwater and is planned to be executed through a Public/Private Partnership (PPP).
Umahi elaborated that the available land at Snake Island and Badagry would be utilized under a build, operate, and transfer scheme to fund the project. Additionally, he noted that works on the Third Mainland Bridge and Carter Bridge had been advertised for PPP.
He also issued a caution to motorists, urging them to refrain from parking on bridges, citing it as a significant cause of damage to bridge infrastructure.
