The Oyo State Government has assured users of the Oyo-Fasola-Iseyin Road that the newly constructed Ogun River Bridge would be opened to traffic soon, saying the work is near completion.
The Commissioner for Public Works and Transports, Prof. Dahud Sangodoyin, gave the assurance while inspecting the 34.8 Kilometres Oyo-Fasola-Iseyin Road, which started in 2021.
Sangodoyin commended the state Governor, Seyi Makinde, for his relentless effort to improve the state agriculture and economy through the construction of good roads.
He implored the citizens to protect whatever facility the state government had provided so that there would not be any need for unnecessary repair.
The commissioner said: “We are here to inspect the level of work that has been done in the last three weeks because we were here 22 days ago.
“We want to see the readiness of this bridge to traffic and we found out that they have done it, but there are still some little things they need to do before we open it to traffic.
“To test the strength of the bridge itself and to see if we have natural compassion, otherwise, I’m satisfied with the level of work they have done.
“The work started in 2021 and it is almost done in terms of the land drain, which is 100 per cent completed, the earthwork is about 82 per cent and the bearing cost is 15.1 Kilometres.
“So, we hope that within the next few weeks, we should be able to get to the bridge in terms of the bearing coast and after the holiday it should be opened to traffic.
“Hopefully, before the end of September 2023, we should be able to finish the road and thereafter, we will think of when to commission it.”
Sangodoyin said that the bridge built several years ago by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was what the state governor built on, urging the citizens to commend the state governor.
He said: “We also have other ongoing road projects that we hope will be completed this year. One of them is Fapote-Ogbomoso, which is 82 per cent and Iseyin-Fapote which is 48 per cent completed.
“Though, the work so far is satisfactory. The contractor has been told that for the OYSADA they must make sure that the hard drain is completed because they complained about it and they should relate well because we are all stakeholders in the state.”
Also, the Project Manager, KOPEK Construction Company Ayman Zaknour, said that they were finalising the work on the bridge to allow traffic on the road.
Zaknour said that other concrete was in place, adding that by next week everything would be ready as planned.
Among other places inspected on the road were Kilometres 11 and 15, 15.1 and 15.5 chainages and the bridge.
In a related development, Sangodoyin and Prof. Ayodeji Omole, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, went on an inspection tour of the Iseyin Satellite Campus of the university in preparation for the students’ resumption on the campus.
Omole, during the inspection, said that there was a need for some adjustment, expressing satisfaction at the level of work done.
He assured the institution management that they were ready to receive the students at the commencement of the next academic session.
Omole advised the pioneer students to manage and make good use of whatever facility was put in place which for now might look inadequate.
He assured them that more of the facilities would still come to make life comfortable for them.
The Provost of the campus Prof. Gbemiga Adewale said that on several occasions the quality delivery of the project was remarkable and thanked the Governing Council for thorough supervision and judicious spending of the fund.
NAN
