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Motorists and commuters plying the Benin-Auchi-Okene highway have appealed to the Federal Government to ease the gridlock they experience on a daily basis occasioned by the failed portions of the road.
It was learnt that the federal highway, which has been undergoing expansion since 2010, has continued to record long and chaotic vehicular queues stretching from the Omega Fire Ministry axis to Jattu junction due to the deplorable state of the road.
The worsening condition of the road, which has caused several accidents, is mostly riddled with potholes and gullies, giving motorists a hectic time while driving through the highway.
One of the failed portions in need of urgent rehabilitation is the NNPC axis of the road that has become widened, leading to big gullies on both sides.
This situation is such that two vehicles from opposite directions can hardly drive-through at the same time.
Worst hit is the Auchi Polytechnic hostel gate axis of the road, where articulated vehicles have broken down causing heavy gridlock daily.
Some motorists who lamented the hardship they face daily on the road said, “driving on that section has become terrible following the challenges of the rainy season.
A motorist, Francis Ojiefo, blamed the situation on the poor job by the contractor handling the project, saying: “The bad sections of the road can be traced to its poor handling by the contractor, this road was done last year but as you can see, some portions of it are already bad.”
Another commuter, Mohammed, appealed to the authorities to urgently mobilise the contractor handling the project to return to site and save commuters and motorists from the harrowing experience on the bad sections of the highway.
Consequently, the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) has summoned the state controller in the Federal Ministry of Works, state Director, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and contractors handling the road over its deplorable state and delay in delivering the project.
Speaker of the House, Francis Okiye, directed the clerk of the Assembly to communicate its resolutions to the relevant agencies and the contractors namely: Reynolds Construction Company (RCC), Mothercat Construction, as well as Dantata and Sawoe Construction companies.
