Residents and motorists plying the Ota-Goro-Atan-Idiroko Expressway have called on the Federal government through the Federal Ministry of Works to enhance supervision of the ongoing reconstruction of the highway.

The residents, yesterday in Ogun State, specifically called on the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to conduct regular inspections to ensure the contractor delivers the project on schedule and in line with approved specifications.

The appeal came amid growing frustration over persistent traffic congestion along the strategic corridor, which residents attributed mainly to the deteriorating condition of the road and the slow pace of the reconstruction project, rather than the activities of security agencies or non-state actors.

The Federal government awarded the reconstruction of the highway in 2023, but several sections remained under construction, forcing motorists to navigate narrow and damaged portions that had become major traffic bottlenecks.

One of the residents, Kolade Balogun, said the prolonged construction had subjected commuters to hours of gridlock daily, increased transportation costs and disrupted commercial activities.

He emphasised that the award of the project was initially welcomed by residents and businesses, but regretted that optimism had gradually given way to frustration as progress on the project had remained slow.

He also expressed concerns over the quality of the drainage infrastructure being constructed in some sections of the highway, describing parts of it as ‘too shallow for a major international corridor.”

He warned that inadequate drainage could worsen flooding and accelerate deterioration of the road after completion.

He said: “Last week, during the heavy downpour, economic activities were disrupted because of the terrible condition of the road.

“We spent several hours in traffic and many people could not get to their destinations on time.”

Balogun urged the government to ensure the contractor accelerated work on the project to bring relief to road users.

While acknowledging visible progress on the construction of the Oju Ore and Winners flyovers, residents maintained that work on other stretches of the expressway lacked the urgency expected on such a critical economic route.

Also speaking, a commercial bus driver, Ibrahim Saheed, blamed frequent vehicle breakdowns, particularly around the Goro axis, for worsening the traffic situation.

He regretted that just last week, he spent over six hours in traffic after some trucks coming from the Agbara Industrial Estate broke down on the highway.

“It was so bad that I only worked for half of the day because the gridlock was overwhelming,” he added.

The Ota-Idiroko Expressway serves as one of Nigeria’s busiest commercial corridors, linking Ogun state with the Republic of Benin and carrying thousands of passenger vehicles, heavy-duty trucks and cross-border goods daily.