The Oyo State Government has inaugurated the newly constructed Olodo bridge in Ibadan, the state capital, ten months after the old bridge was washed away by flood in July last year. The state government had ordered the closure of the old bridge and promised to construct a new one.
The government opened the reconstructed half of the bridge for vehicular movement on Saturday. Governor Seyi Makinde, represented by the Commissioner for Public Works, Infrastructure and Transport, Professor Dahud Shangodoyin, opened the completed right side of the bridge, which serves as a link to Osun State.
Speaking at the inauguration, Governor Makinde expressed his fulfilment and joy at the event, which he described as a further demonstration of his administration’s commitment to delivering dividends of democracy to all the nooks and crannies of the state without regard to the political, and religious, or socio-economic status of the people.
The construction of the 35.6km Iwo Road-Olodo Bank-Elesingodogbo-Odo Oba (Oyo/Osun State boundary) road was borne out of the administration’s passion to concentrate energy on projects with potential for the expansion of the state’s economy and the engineering of a modern Oyo State.
The pavement at the approaches of the bridge is made up of a 200mm thick lateritic sub-base, a 200mm thick stone base, a 50mm asphaltic binder course, and a 40mm asphaltic concrete wearing course. The surfacing is completed with road lane markings.
This new development is expected to ease traffic congestion and improve transportation in the area, benefiting the economy and the people of Oyo State.