… Flyover will end decades of gridlock, accidents – Aiyedatiwa

… Names flyover after Fasoranti at 100

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday commissioned the Onyearugbulem–Shagari/Irese Road Flyover and Junction Improvement Project in Akure, describing it as a strategic infrastructure intervention expected to ease persistent traffic congestion and stimulate industrial and commercial development along the axis.

With the flyover being the first in the state capital, Shettima, while speaking at the project site along the Ilesha–Akure–Owo Motorway, stated that the project would improve the flow of traffic, enhance road safety, and open up the corridor for increased economic activities.

The Vice President, who described the project as a timely intervention, commended the Ondo State Government, noting that such infrastructure projects remain central to sustainable development and regional integration.

Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was joined at the event by his Ogun State counterpart, Governor Dapo Abiodun, described the project as a historic achievement, stressing that it is the first flyover bridge constructed in Akure, the state capital.

Aiyedatiwa emphasised that the development goes beyond physical infrastructure, stressing that it represents a deliberate effort to address long-standing traffic challenges, improve safety, and enhance economic productivity within the metropolis.

According to the governor, the Onyearugbulem–Shagari and Akure–Benin Motorway intersection had, for years, remained a major flashpoint for recurrent accidents, severe traffic bottlenecks, and avoidable loss of productive time.

According to him, the corridor, being a key gateway into the South-West, had also suffered significant disruptions to economic activities due to persistent gridlock.

Aiyedatiwa explained that the project was initiated under the administration of the late former governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and sustained by his administration to ensure continuity and completion.

The governor, who subsequently named the flyover after the National Leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political group Afenifere, Pa Reuben Famuyide Fasoranti, who clocked 100 years on Monday, said his government had, within the last one year, intensified infrastructure renewal across the state.

The governor listed key projects to include the dualisation of the Akure–Idanre Road, Akungba–Ikare Road, Okitipupa–Igbokoda Road, and College Road in Igbokoda.

He also highlighted the rehabilitation and asphalt overlay of over 100 kilometres of roads across the three senatorial districts, including Akure–Ijare Road, Akure–Imafon Road, Aiyegunle–Oka Road, and Igbotako Road, among others.

He maintained that the Rueben Fasoranti Flyover remains one of the flagship projects of his administration, saying it has already improved traffic flow, reduced travel time, and enhanced safety along the busy corridor.