Motorists and commuters travelling along the Benin–Lagos Highway were stranded in a massive traffic gridlock for more than seven hours on Tuesday around the Ovia River Bridge axis.
The situation forced many drivers, except operators of heavy-duty vehicles, to make a U-turn and drive back to Okada Junction before diverting through the Iguobazuwa old road to reach Benin City.
Our correspondent observed that the uneven road surface on both approaches to the bridge had also contributed to several accidents along the stretch.
One of the affected motorists, identified simply as Ade, told The PUNCH that he was forced to turn back after getting to the Ovia Bridge while travelling to Benin on Monday.
He said the situation was worsened by trucks occupying one side of the road.
According to him, he had to return to Okada Junction and take the old road, consuming extra fuel in the process.
“It was a harrowing experience. Imagine getting to Ovia Bridge and turning back to Okada Junction before making a detour to Iguobazuwa.”
“I burned the expensive fuel I bought in Lagos and N47,000 barely took me to Benin,” he said.
The Edo State Commissioner for Works, Felix Akhabue, said he had visited the Ovia Bridge with engineers from his ministry and the Comptroller of the Federal Ministry of Works to assess the situation.
“I went there with the Comptroller of the Federal Ministry of Works. He said they are processing what needs to be done to address the situation. We have inspected the area and informed the ministry, and they are taking steps to act. There are some damages they intend to fix,” Akhabue said.
Also speaking, the Comptroller of the Federal Ministry of Works, Babatunde Tajudeen, said there was no structural or technical defect on the Ovia River Bridge.
He added that the Edo State House of Assembly had earlier written to the ministry regarding the condition of the Benin–Lagos Highway.
“The bridge is not bad structurally or technically. I have reverted to my headquarters in Abuja, and another team of engineers has been sent from Abuja to assess the situation,” he said.
Tajudeen explained that the major challenge was the presence of potholes on the road, noting that repair work was already underway.
“The bridge itself is intact and not defective. The issue is largely the attitude of drivers, especially operators of heavy-duty trucks and tankers, who fail to exercise patience.
“They don’t slow down while descending the slope. We are planning to repair the potholes and introduce speed control measures. The Abuja office has completed its technical report, and we are awaiting further directives,” he added.
