Transportation Infrastructure for Regional and National Development: Case of the Proposed East-West Coastal Road

Meshach Owho Ojile^1,

¹Department of Environmental Management, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, PMB 071 Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Cite this paper:
Meshach Owho Ojile. Transportation Infrastructure for Regional and National Development: Case of the Proposed East-West Coastal Road. Journal of Behavioural Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Accounting and Transport. 2021; 9(1):7-15. doi: 10.12691/jbe-9-1-2

Abstract

Transport is the cornerstone of civilization, an essential part of human activity. Road transportation in particular plays a significant role in the economic development of any nation, for high proportion of economic activities are dependent on an efficient network of roads. The Nigerian Coastal zone sprawls over a total of nine coastal states and stretch inland for a distance of 15km in Lagos in the West to about 150km in the Niger Delta and about 25km east of the Niger Delta. Coastal Roads constitute a major segment of national road network in countries with vast shorelines like Nigeria. The East-West Road undergoing reconstruction and upgrading is currently the most southern road running through the Region. It is about 40km from the coastline on the average, leaving a vast section of the coastal communities inaccessible by road transport and has naturally slowed down development and business expansion. The conception and proposal to construct an East-West Coastal Highway is thus a welcome development. The 704km highway with about 106km of spurs connects over 1,000 communities and serves as a strong east-west spine from Calabar towards Lagos, with several north-south ‘ribs’ connecting growth poles. The paper contributes to an understanding of the human environment of proposed project from a specialist perspective on impacts’ assessment study. Beneficiaries, prevailing baseline conditions and recognition of associated positive benefits including regional-national integration if implemented are discussed. High expectations await the coastal road execution and Government and her agencies should not tarry too long in doing the needful.

Keywords:
road transportation Nigerian coastal zone Niger Delta East-West Coastal Highway human environment

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