Coastal Road: Lekki Residents Send SOS to CBN

Residents of estates in the Lekki corridor of the Lagos metropolis have called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to assist in the construction of the Lekki Coastal Road. 

The residents, under the auspices of Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA), made the call in a letter to the CBN Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

Dated 7 March and signed by Olorogun James Emadoye and Mr. Gbemi Adelekan, President and Secretary of the association respectively, the letter urged the apex bank to build the Lekki Coastal Road through the CBN Infrastructural Corporation of Nigeria Plc (INFRACO).

LERSA noted that over the last decade, the Lekki corridor has witnessed exponential population explosion on account of developments such as Lekki Free Trade Zone, Dangote Refinery and stands to record more through the Lagos Deep Seaport and Airport, both slated to kick off soon.

As such, LERSA stated, commuting into and out of the axis has become hellish, as residents rely only on the Lekki Expressway for access to the axis.

“It now takes an average of three to four hours to access Lagos Island from some parts of Lekki due to the population growth and the single road for ingress/egress on the axis.

“The current single road into the community, the Lekki Expressway. will definitely become impassable unless another major alternative road is constructed.

“The single road has become grossly inadequate to handle the volume of traffic and LERSA has been in the forefront of agitation for an alternative road for over five years now,” the association said in the letter.

While admitting that some work has been done on the Lekki-Epe Expressway, including recently from Eleko junction to Epe, LERSA observed that the pace of work is slow, stating that it is the construction of the Coastal Road rather than work on the existing road is that will bring reprieve to residents and other road users.

“We are convinced that a major parallel road is required in the axis.

“Recall the challenge that the Tin Can and Apapa Ports have created with two major access roads viz Apapa Oshodi Expressway and the Ijora Apapa Road.

“We believe that the development of the Lekki Coastal Road will be a better solution to the corridor while also waiting for further development of rails and other modes of transportation and it is with this conviction that we are using this medium to request for CBN’s intervention in the construction and development of the Lekki Coastal Road,” added LERSA.

It also noted that the Lagos State Government has identified the coastal road as a major solution to the crippling traffic congestion in the axis, but has often attributed its inability to build it to paucity of funds.

It similarly expressed readiness to partner with the CBN and other government agencies to ensure that the road is built.