Oyo government closes Olodo bridge over Flood

The Oyo State government has shut down the Olodo bridge located along the Ibadan-Iwo Road.

Newsmen reports that the bridge is one of the bridges that connect Ibadan in Oyo with Iwo in Osun State.

The bridge was washed away on Monday due to the flood that ravaged some parts of Ibadan.

The state government revealed it made the decision to shut down the bridge on Monday, assuring residents of the flooded areas of quick intervention, alternative routes and other palliative measures to ease their movement.

It made this disclosure when an inspection team from the Ministries of Works, Environment, Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) paid an assessment visit to the site of the collapsed bridge.

The team also inspected roads at Olodo Garage, Ido and Akinyele in Ibadan.

Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs. Modupe Adeleye, who spoke on behalf of the team, sympathised with the victims of the flood, informing that the government was aware of their plight.

“It is really pathetic actually, it is sad what we are seeing here this morning. We came here as a team comprising the Ministries of Environment, Public Works, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP), to see things for ourselves.

“There are palliatives that the government will put in place for now to allay the fears of the people. So, the team went round to look for alternative routes because this place (Olodo Bridge) needs to be shut down for now to prevent loss of lives and properties because it is a very risky zone.

“The suggestion now is that we should shut down and look for alternative routes for people to do their businesses and so far, the best route that we found is about five (5) kilometres. It spans from Wofun Junction through Kute to Olodo Bank. That will be the alternative route where the government will take a palliative measure for now”.