BENIN CITY: The Edo State Government has announced plans to intervene in failed portions of the Oluku-Lagos Road and other roads in the state to address the deteriorating condition of the roads in order to ease difficulties faced by motorists and avert likely dangers motorists and other road users could be exposed to.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Mr. John Obanor, disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Benin City, where he said the government had mandated relevant officials to follow up on road failures at Oluku and other reaa within the metropolis and come up with appropriate intervention measures.
Obanor who expressed the commitment of the Okpebholo’s administration to road infrastructure upgrade and maintenance, lamented the failure rate of some interstate roads which has made swift commuting on affected corridors a challenging experience to motorists.
He attributed rate of delapidation of roads to the tonne weight of articulated vehicle which often time are overloaded beyond what the roads could withstand, due largely to the absence of effective train haulage services in the country, stressing that efforts were being made by the relevant levels of government to restore them.
It would be recalled that a truck laden with petroleum products, had fallen over over and spilled its contents while attempting to manoeuvre its way through a failed portion on the Oluku Road.
The spillage subsequently triggered a fire outbreak, which razed several shops and left several people with varying degrees of burns.
According to him, Edo State’s strategic position as a major transit corridor connecting different parts of the country exposes its roads to considerable pressure from heavy-duty vehicles, making regular maintenance and timely intervention inevitable.
The Permanent Secretary assured residents that the government was working to identify failures on critical roads and implement appropriate measures to fixing them.
He added that the government remained committed to ensuring that contractors fulfilled their contractual obligations in roads construction and maintenance, stressing that any defects identified on road projects before their formal handover must be fixed by the contractors at no cost to the government.
Obanor further explained that mechanisms, including retention payments and maintenance periods, were in place to hold contractors accountable for the quality and durability of road projects.
He noted that contractors were also being directed to submit updated work programmes to enable the government to monitor progress effectively and ensure timely project delivery.
The Permanent Secretary reiterated the government’s determination to addressing the challenges posed by road infrastructure maintenance across Edo State, just as he called for the cooperation and support of residents, contractors and the media in supporting ongoing efforts to improve the state’s road network.
He highlighted that several projects, including Prince Jim Road, Prince Harrison Road, Iyoha Road, and Varsity Road and many others had been completed, while others are at various stages of completion.
The Permanent Secretary along side Ministry Engineers led journalists on a guided tour of some road projects in Benin City. Places visited included the Benin-Sapele Road, Old Sapele Road, Ramat Park flyover bridge and flood control on Obaseki Street among others.
