People who drive, commute, and do business along the Benin–Sapele Road have complained about how slowly the roadwork is moving, saying it is making travel longer, less safe, and less profitable.
The Guardian says that the part of the road that is now closed, from the By-pass axis to the Ologbo-Koko Junction, started to fall apart in 2018 because of bad drainage design and lack of upkeep.
The road got so bad that it was almost impossible to drive on. This was made worse by political disagreements between the Edo State government, which was supposed to help, and the federal government, which is in charge of fully fixing the important highway that connects the western corridor to the South-South.
When the Edo State government took over some of the work that Levant Construction Company had been doing to fix things up, there were signs of hope.
Residents, on the other hand, feel that things are still getting worse and that development has been gradual.
Igbinovia Lucky, who lives in Ogheghe near the By-pass, said that getting to work every day was a nightmare.
He added, “It’s been very hard to get into the city and then go home after work since I moved here in 2022.”
“Most nights, we spend five or six hours on a trip that should only take 30 to 45 minutes.”
Transporters also complained about how the road’s condition affected their work. Sunday Ochuko, a commercial driver, said that the bad condition of the roadway has made it harder for drivers to make journeys every day.
“The terrible road makes accidents more likely since trucks often get stopped, flip over, or are stuck for days. He stated that this leads to theft, abandoned cattle, and even kidnappings on some parts of the road.
Ochuko said that the situation has made it more expensive to keep cars in good shape and use more gas because of slow movement and delays.
“The corridor is very important for trade between Edo and Delta states, but it has become hard to move products quickly. Farmers lose money when their crops rot before they get to the market. This lowers their income, limits the food supply, and raises prices. He said that passenger fares on the Benin–Sapele route have almost doubled.
A fruit merchant who gets his goods from Benin to sell in Sapele had the same worries. He said that sellers have to raise prices to compensate greater shipping costs because of frequent delays and losses.
People who live and work in the area are asking both the state and federal governments to speed up the repairs, saying that the road is a lifeline for business and daily travel in the area.
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