Oyo government begins construction of 72-year-old bridge

The Oyo State government has begun the reconstruction of a 72-year-old Odo-Ogun bridge and the Oyo-Iseyin Federal road, after decades of abandonment.

The bridge had lost most of the railings and barrier concretes, which caused vehicles to plunge into the river, leading to the death of many passengers.

While speaking with reporters at the construction site, some residents of Odo Ogun village said they heaved a sigh of relief when the government commenced the extension of the bridge late last year.

The people also commended the state governor for the urbanisation projects of the Saki Township Road, commissioned yesterday.

The representative of Iseyin/Itesiwaju at the State’s House of Assembly, Dele Adeola said that the state government was out to make life easy, especially for the people in the hinterlands. “Farmers and traders in the Oke-Ogun region can now connect the cities through various link roads that have been constructed or reconstructed by the present administration.

“We can see that Governor Makinde has promised to stand by the people of Oyo State and make them enjoy governance and he is delivering as promised, the Oyo-Iseyin road is another episode in this line.”

The National Chairman, Iseyin Development Union (I.D.U), Alhaji Bayo Raji pointed out that the construction of Iseyin-Oyo road and the 72-year-old Odo-Ogun bridge is a major relief for the people of Oke-Ogun.

He said the bridge’s side culverts were last repaired by the then Military Governor Ike Nwosu in 1996 and nothing has been done afterwards despite reports of deaths of travellers in their hundreds.