The Federal Government has threatened to shut down the Lagos section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway within two weeks if motorists and other road users fail to comply with safety measures aimed at curbing violations on the highway.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olufemi Dare, issued the warning on Monday during a press briefing on the persistent safety and security challenges along the highway.

Dare said the Minister of Works, David Umahi, had directed the ministry to return to the highway and shut the affected section if there was no significant improvement in compliance within two weeks.

“In another two weeks, if there’s no improvement, His Excellency has directed that we are coming back to shut down the road,” he said.

He said the government could no longer tolerate overspeeding, illegal parking by trucks and articulated vehicles, unauthorised U-turns, the use of motorcycles and tricycles, roadside trading and other activities capable of endangering road users or damaging the highway infrastructure.

According to Dare, the Lagos section of the coastal highway consists of two stretches measuring 47.474km and 56km, giving a combined length of about 103km within the state.

“Ordinarily, we ought not to have opened it until all the bridges are completed,” he added.

He expressed concern that some motorists were driving at speeds of up to 120km/h on sections of the highway where construction work was still ongoing, despite the 30km/h speed limit displayed along the route.

“We have said your speed on the coastal road must not be more than 30km/h. It is well written everywhere. But people will come here and go at 100km/h . This cannot continue,” Dare emphasised.

The controller said the authorities had recorded fatalities on the highway, stressing the need for motorists to strictly observe the prescribed speed limit.

“Lives are being lost on the coastal road. Almost every other day,” he said.

Dare also disclosed that the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, had increased police deployment along the highway following meetings with Umahi.

He warned that trucks and articulated vehicles parked illegally on the highway would be towed away, while motorists making illegal U-turns would be removed from the road and prosecuted.

He also said motorcycles, tricycles and other similar vehicles had been banned from the coastal highway, adding that more than 100 Okada riders were arrested along the route the previous week.

Beyond traffic violations, Dare raised concerns about the vandalisation of infrastructure along the highway.

He disclosed that about five kilometres of clear-view fencing had been removed, while concrete drainage covers spanning about 18km had also been vandalised and stolen.