Ogbomoso/Oyo highway: ‘Pressure on us to complete project, fund not problem again but … ‘
Yinka ADETUNJI
Sources at the Reynold Construction Company (RCC) Saturday disclosed to ogbomosoinsightonline.com that by December 2023, work should be rounded off on the Ogbomoso/Oyo section of the Ibadan/Ilorin new highway, which remains of the multi-billion naira project.
A worker with the Israeli company, who pleaded anonymity while speaking with ogbomosoinsightonline.com informed that the federal government had brought so much pressure on the contractor to complete the project in time adding that the company is committed to it and that fund isn’t the problem any longer but other factors.
According to the source, construction of a durable highway takes time noting that earthwork especially consumes a lot of energy, resources and time.
He said further, “The topography of the land is essential in the construction of a highway.
“Highways are constructed to eliminate undulating stretches so that a driver can have a view of more than a kilometre while travelling on the road.
“So, usually high places are lowered and valleys or low places are filled with boulders and hard core to have a level ground.”
Another source corroborating this said at Obada (Odo-Oba) axis alone over a kilometre of marshy area would have to be worked on to rid the land of water, filling with boulders, hard core and so on, informing this will take months.
“At some places you have to make filling as deep as a five storey building.
“And this you can’t do in a hurry, you have to fill in layers, compact and fill. You may not fill more than two layers in a day.”
The sources meanwhile pointed out that rainfall is a major setback “but now that rainfall is receding work will resume in earnest. Equipment and materials needed are already available.”
It’s found out that earthwork had reached Odo-Oba axis from Oyo remaining asphaltic laying.
ogbomosoinsightonline.com also discovered all bridges have been completed including that canof Oba River.
As stated, the major aspect now is the earthwork and it’s assured that this would be completed before the middle of next year even as paving with asphalt had reached Oolo area from Oyo.
The sources meanwhile lamented the incessant carnage leading to loss of lives on both the old and new roads saying this is another source of pressure on the contractor.
“We feel saddened witnessing accidents often fatal ones on the roads,” one of the sources said.
“Overspending is a major cause of the accidents on the new road, drivers who don’t know the conditions of their tyres and with intermittent ditches on the road due to ongoing construction work engaging in excessive speeding are usually the victims of fatal crashes.
“Our men working are often not spared the calamity, they kill us and inflict injuries on us and that is why we often close the road when we are working to avoid such calamities.”
It is recalled that earlier this month the Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Raji Fasola, visited sites along the construction stretch assuring the federal government is committed to completing the project.
The road has become like a demon sucking blood of travellers recklessly. Completing the project will thus be a big relief to users of the road.
