Commuters Urge Makinde To Speed Up Completion Of Olodo Link Bridge
ON July 23, 2023, the 7.7 kilometers long Olodo Bridge, which linked the 35.53 km Ibadan- Iwo- Osogbo Road at Egbeda Council in Ibadan caved in as a result of the downpour and the consequent flood that also swept many structures within that vicinity away.
Since the Olodo Bridge collapsed, pedestrian and vehicular movements along the corridor have been difficult especially for millions of those who were left with no alternative route to get to their various destinations.
Commercial transporters plying Ibadan to Osogbo along the corridors have over the week lamented to The Guardian Newspapers their ordeals whenever they were traveling to and fro Ibadan in Oyo and Osogbo in Osun.
To them, the last eight months have been ‘ hellish’ along the corridor and what further compounded their plight is the fuel hike and correspondent hike in the cost of maintenance of their vehicles, which constantly get damaged as a result of bad roads that they were forced to ply since the bridge collapsed.
Till date, victims of the July 23 2023 downpours and the flood still recollect how buses and houses were submerged in the deluge, compelling certain residents to evacuate their homes.
Those who witnessed the deluge also narrated how some individuals found themselves completely stranded, unable to reach their houses on that day just as the pray never to experience how they stood watching as the torrent flood washed away buildings within the surrounding
Although the Oyo State government under the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde , quickly moved in to provide succour to victims of the flood just as it accelerated moves to reconstruct the damaged bridge, eight months after some had stated complaining that the ongoing construction of the road and bridge are not just slow, they are also in doubt, if the project can be completed in between February and March this year as promised by the government.
Residents are urgently calling on Governor Makinde to speed up the project so that their agony could be brought to an end.
As at last week during a visit to the site , commuters and traders called on government to deploy every available effort to ensure that the project is completed not later than next month.
Majority of those that interacted with the reporters said, “with the spate of things there is no guarantee the link bridge can be ready anytime this month.”
Pointing at the ongoing project, one of the traders said, “I am in doubt if the bridge can be completed this month, if we actually want a good and solid job. Work is ongoing but for the road, I see no reason it couldn’t be finished as the government had promised.”
The pedestrian walkway of the Olodo Bridge, initially created for safety during ongoing construction, has transformed into a bustling marketplace. Market women have set up shop, offering a variety of goods, including peppers, rice, onions, and more. What was once a thoroughfare for pedestrians has become a vibrant commercial space, drawing in residents seeking to fulfill their daily shopping needs.
The Olodo Bridge reconstruction project, approved by the government with a budget of N12.5 billion, is a joint effort between the Oyo and Osun States governments. The contract was awarded to Messrs Peculiar Ultimate Concerns Ltd in 2022.
Although, the state’s Commissioner for Works, Public Infrastructure and Transport, Professor Daud Kehinde Shangodoyin, who had earlier visited the 2.5 kilometer Oki Junction- Olodo Bank Road fixed by the government as an alternative route for road users in the axis, said the collapsed bridge would also be fixed in six months.
The commissioner reiterated the commitment of Governor Makinde to ensure that the project is completed and delivered for use within the time promised.
He appealed for patience among the road users to continue using the alternative infrastructure, pending when the project will be finished.
He recalled how Governor Makinde and former governor of Osun State, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, flagged off a 35.7km road project from Iwo Road Interchange to OdoOba to Osogbo.
The government further gave assurance that the project, which is in three sections, with work currently ongoing on the first section; the Iwo Road interchange to Olodo Bridge ( 7.7 km). As at December work had reached an advanced stage on the Ibadan- Iwo- Osogbo Road project. Prior to the resumption, work had been focused on the construction of the new two- span Olodo Bridge.
It was reported that construction of the first phase of the two- span Olodo Bridge is scheduled to be completed by February this year while the 35.53 km Ibadan- IwoOsogbo Road project is scheduled to be completed by quarter of this year. The completion of the Ibadan- Iwo- Osogbo Road project which includes the construction of the two- span Olodo Bridge will resolve the traffic congestion issues at the Olodo Axis.