Motorists and residents in Etete and GRA, Benin City, are calling on relevant authorities to urgently repair several feeder roads that have deteriorated under the pressure of heavy traffic diverted from Sapele Road, where construction of the Adesuwa flyover is ongoing.
Road users plying Okpamen Street, Pole Street, Oduna Street, and other adjoining routes say the streets, originally designed for light neighbourhood traffic, have become major alternative corridors for commuters desperate to escape the daily gridlock on Sapele Road.
The sudden surge in vehicular movement, they say, has left many sections of the roads badly damaged, with potholes, broken asphalt and flooded portions making driving increasingly difficult and unsafe.
Commercial drivers and private motorists lament that what should be short detours now take far longer, as vehicles slow to navigate failed sections of the roads. Some motorists also complain of frequent breakdowns, damaged tyres and rising maintenance costs.
Pedestrians and residents are not spared. With cars and motorcycles competing for limited space on the narrow streets, residents say crossing the road has become risky, while noise, dust and congestion have disrupted the once-quiet neighbourhood.
“Every morning and evening, the roads are choked. These streets were never meant for this volume of traffic,” a motorist said. “If the flyover work will continue, then these feeder roads must be fixed.”
Residents stress that while they support the flyover project and understand its long-term benefits, the lack of temporary relief measures is taking a toll on daily life. They are urging the government to carry out urgent palliative repairs on the affected streets to ease traffic flow and reduce hardship for motorists and other road users.
As construction work continues at the Sapele Road–Adesuwa axis, commuters hope that timely intervention on the surrounding feeder roads will help prevent further deterioration and make daily movement safer and less stressful for all.
Credit:ITV
