Traffic congestion on the troubled Benin-Agbor Road has eased following the commencement of remedial works, but motorists still face damaged sections, with heavy dust from passing vehicles raising concerns over visibility and public health.
Benin-Agbor Road
One week after the Minister of Works, David Umahi, inspected the troubled Benin-Agbor Road, the traffic gridlock that had caused long delays for motorists around the bypass axis has begun to ease.
However, several failed portions of the road remain, leaving motorists to contend with uneven and degraded sections of the highway.
The concessionaire, Benin-Asaba Expressway Concession Company (BAECC), has commenced remedial works on some of the failed portions, providing some relief to road users.
Speaking on the development, Chairman of the Ikpoba-Okha Youth Forum, Kingsley Osemwengie, said the situation was different from what obtained a week earlier when motorists were spending hours on the route because of the gridlock.
He, however, said the easing of traffic had not resolved the underlying problem, as several bad spots continued to make movement difficult.
Osemwengie called for more sustained intervention on the affected sections, urging the concessionaire to take advantage of the subsiding rains to commence permanent construction works rather than relying solely on temporary repairs.
Another concern along the route is the amount of dust generated by vehicles passing through the degraded sections.
The movement of vehicles over the unpaved and damaged portions raises clouds of dust, affecting visibility and surrounding areas while exposing motorists, commuters and residents along the route to the health hazards caused by the dust.
While traffic has improved considerably since the Minister’s inspection, road users say the continued presence of failed portions means the Benin-Agbor Road still requires urgent and lasting attention.
