*To meet stakeholders for support
The Ogun State government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that the Abeokuta – Sagamu road remains in good condition for motorists and other road users to ply. The government also revealed plans to collaborate with truck owners and other stakeholders on the road.
Lamenting the continuous deterioration of the road due to the pressure daily put on it by the obvious increase in the number of heavy duty trucks servicing the large number of quarries and housing estates in the area, the state government, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Engr. Ade Akinsanya, said it will continue to seek ways to continue maintaining the road in spite of the huge financial implications to the state government.
According to the statement, there are currently about 30 quarries in Abeokuta, the state capital while not less than another 15 quarries operates along the Abeokuta Sagamu road. “The weight of the trucks bearing the granites, with some of them often overloaded, continue to cause immense damages to the road leading to the need to regularly rehabilitate the road at huge costs.
Akinsanya also added that further pressure is exerted on the road by trucks and other heavy duty machineries deployed by estate developers in the area. “We all can attest to the growing numbers of housing estates and other companies on that axis of the state.
“The influx of trucks and other vehicles bearing granites, cements, stone base, laterites and other materials exerts a lot of pressure on the road and causes a lot of damages leaving the state government with no choice than to constantly maintain the road.
“Everyday, you also hear of accidents that leave street lights damaged by overspending drivers. This, coupled with the incessant vandalisation of street lights and other infrastructure on the road by hoodlums, makes constant rehabilitation of the road a must.
“This is why, among other things, the government meet with the truck owners, quarry operators and other stakeholders to discuss ways of collaboration on the regular maintenance of the road to ensure that road users can comfortably ply the road,” the statement said.
