Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
Motorists plying the Benin-Lagos express road will from this moment, heave a sigh of relief while using the road particularly the Ovia Bridge axis.
Truth Live News reports that the road has been so notorious for accident in recent times. Recall that weeks ago, over 10 members of the Salvation Army who were returning from a church programme from Lagos and were heading to the South South region lost their lives on that bridge while others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
In order to prevent further loss of life, the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has embarked on a maintenance work to reinstate the failed sections of the ever busy highway.
Speaking with newsmen, an Engineer with the Federal Road Maintenance in Edo State, Muktar Abdulrahim, said the agency has successfully addressed the issue of punching failure on the edge of the bridge at Isoko camp, a notorious spot known for traffic congestion based on the approval by the Acting Managing Director of FERMA Chimezie Amos.
He said: “The failure on the deck has been reinstated, and we are awaiting the completion of the concrete curing period before it can be reopened for use. We use this medium to appeal to motorists and other road users to exercise patience while the concrete undergo the curing period.”
Abdulrahim said the agency would address the underlying causes before tackling the failures themselves.
“We have observed that these failures are primarily due to blocked water channels, resulting in water accumulation on the roadway.
“To address this, we are actively desilting existing lined drains and constructing additional ones to ensure proper drainage.
“Our efforts also encompass unblocking weep holes at the Ovia bridge and introducing water channels at the bridge approach to prevent water pooling, a factor contributing to the road’s deterioration.
“Once these preventive measures are implemented, we will concentrate on rectifying the failures.
“By addressing the root causes and then conducting the necessary repairs, we are confident that the resulting improvements will stand the test of time,” he said.
Abdulrahim noted that the team has also moved to the Okada area, where a water pond has rendered a section impassable for motorists.
Recall that the Edo State House of Assembly had summoned FERMA officials to address the deteriorating conditions of the road, which not only resulted in traffic congestion but also auto accidents.
Regarding other bad sections of federal roads in Edo, Abdulrahim stated that the agency has prioritized repairs based on the severity of the issues.
“We are optimistic that in the near future, we will extend our efforts to other roads to commence necessary maintenance,” he assured.