Travelers from Ondo State hoping to access Ekiti State, Osun, Abuja and other places, are presently going through difficult times following the collapse of a major bridge linking the two brother states.
The bridge, located at the border town of Irun Akoko, Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State, has been a source of grave concern to commuters using the road for a long time.
The collapse, according to sources in the town, was a disaster waiting to happen. “This bridge did not just collapse one day. We have cried, make representations to the authorities on several occassions, but nothing was done,” a resident of the town who craved anonimity, said.
The federal roads maintenance agency, FERMA, recently carried out repairs on the road, but ignored entreaties by well-meaning people of the town on the urgent need to attend to the deteriorating bridge, which according to report was constructed by the old Western region.
The ugly development has thrown commuters plying the road into serious difficulties in accessing their various destinations.
In recent times, the road has been very busy with commuters from Lagos, Oyo, Osun and Ekiti States to connect Abuja.
Irun Akoko, an agrarian community shares borders with Ekiti State. It is the biggest town in the local government area that connects Ekiti through Egbe, Imesi, Isinbode and Ado Ekiti.
As at the time of filing this report, the road has become impassable after a truck loaded with metal scraps fell at the collapsed section of bridge.
Residents who lamented the negative impacts of the development and poor handling of repairs by federal agencies, appealed for urgent government intervention.
Some of the commuters explained that they have to make a detour and embark on longer routes before connecting commercial centers like Ikare Akoko, Owo, Benin, Okenne, Lokoja and Abuja.
“Accidents like this one has been happening here since the bridged collapsed. We now spend about between two and three hours on journeys that ordinarily would take us about 20 minutes. We are begging both the federal and Ondo State governments to come to our rescue,” a commuter pleaded.
