Passengers and motorists plying the busy Agbarho-Ughelli Expressway in Delta State were on Tuesday stranded for several hours following the collapse of a culvert on a section of the road and the breakdown of a petroleum tanker on another portion of the highway.

The twin incidents, which occurred amid increasing concerns over the condition of the major road corridor, triggered a severe traffic gridlock in the early hours of Tuesday, leaving motorists and passengers struggling to navigate their way through the affected sections.

The Agbarho-Ughelli Expressway is a major link for residents, commuters, commercial transport operators and businesses travelling between Agbarho, Ughelli and neighbouring communities.

The collapse of the culvert reportedly rendered part of the carriageway impassable, forcing motorists to manoeuvre through limited available space, while the tanker laden with petroleum products broke down on another section of the road, further worsening the situation.

Passengers were seen stranded at different points, with motorists making frantic efforts to find alternative routes or squeeze through portions of the damaged road.

Some eyewitnesses attributed the collapse of the culvert to the impact of recent flooding which affected Agbarho and neighbouring communities.

According to them, the heavy rainfall and flooding in the area may have weakened the road infrastructure and caused the culvert to give way, further exposing the deteriorating condition of the highway.

They expressed concern that unless urgent intervention was undertaken, the situation could deteriorate further, particularly with continued rainfall and increasing vehicular traffic on the route.

The development has also raised fresh concerns about the safety of motorists and passengers, especially vehicles conveying petroleum products and other heavy-duty trucks that frequently use the expressway.

Residents and road users appealed to the Delta State Government and the Federal Government to urgently mobilise relevant agencies to the scene and restore the affected portions of the road.

They called for the deployment of emergency road maintenance teams to repair the collapsed culvert, clear the broken-down tanker and create a temporary passage for motorists pending permanent rehabilitation of the road.

One of the road users said the immediate priority should be to reopen the road to traffic, noting that prolonged blockage could have serious consequences for commuters, businesses and communities along the corridor.

The motorists also urged authorities to inspect other culverts and drainage structures along the highway to determine whether they had been weakened by the recent flooding and heavy rains.

As of the time of filing this report, passengers and motorists remained stranded on the expressway, with several vehicles attempting to manoeuvre through the affected sections.