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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Travelers to the southeastern part of the country are going through a hectic time accessing the River Niger Bridge from the Asaba end owing to the ongoing construction of the link road to the second Niger Bridge.
As a result of the construction, one part of the dual carriageway approach road to the old bridge has been closed to traffic by the near the toll gate.
Vehicles from Asaba, Warri, Lagos and Benin, among others, now detour at the point of closure to the other part originally meant for vehicles coming from the Onitsha end of the bridge. This has led to the narrowing of that part of the road, resulting in traffic snarls.
Commuters spend harrowing hours waiting to negotiate their way to the bridge as a result of the long queue of vehicles.
Narrating their sordid experiences, some commuters said the situation has become unbearable and urged the contractor to expedite action on the link road to the new bridge.
Mrs. Blessing Okoye, whose car was parked by the side of the road with the bonnet open, said the vehicle engine became over-heated after spending much time in the hold up.
Okoye told our correspondent that she left Lagos by 3.35am only to still be stuck at the traffic in Asaba at 1.05pm.
Okoye said although she does not ply the route frequently, each time she decides to come home to relaxation in Anambra State, she has always been caught in Asaba traffic.
She said: “The situation here is crazy at the moment. It is quite discouraging. Each time I want to come home and relax, I still have to undergo serious stress.
“Each time I remember this place in particular, I just want to give up. I don’t use this road regularly but I use it at least two or three times a year.”
Another female respondent, who was in company with her family in their private vehicle, Mrs. Joyce Adigwe, lamented that a journey from Asaba to Onitsha that used to be less than 20 minutes was taking them over one hour because of the traffic.
A commercial bus driver, Chidiebube Ezeocha, who plies the route regularly, said he was unfortunately caught in the traffic, which he had been avoiding.
“I have been dodging the hold-up but today, honestly, I could not escape it. I have spent about three hours here. I use this road every day from Asaba to Onitsha.
“I am appealing to the contractor to be fast in connecting this road to the new bridge so that this suffering will stop,” Ezeocha pleaded.
On his part, a Warri-based transporter, Michael Alimi, said he had spent about 90 minutes in traffic, noting that since the partial closure of the road, he reduced the number of days that he is usually on the road to reduce stress.
“I have been here since 11am. I used to go to Onitsha from Warri every day but since this whole thing started, I have to reduce the number of days on the road because of the experience which is not funny,” Alimi said.
While commending the government for the initiative of diverting traffic to the new bridge with the ongoing construction of the link road, some respondents, however, urged the contractor to speed up the work.
“The second Niger Bridge must be put to use, it was opened during the 2022 yuletide and we all saw how it eased off traffic. I think with this construction, the bridge would be opened for permanent use.
“But let the contractor speed up the job because we are going through a lot right now trying to enter Onitsha due to the closure of one part of the road,” said Mr. Daniel Uchenna, who runs a business in Onitsha.
Meanwhile, operators of motorcycles popularly referred to as Okada riders are back in business. Motorcycles have become the swiftest alternative to access Onitsha from Asaba. But this is not applicable for long distance travelers who are holed up in commercial or private vehicles stuck in the traffic most times.
Nevertheless, the Okada riders usually ferry passengers either from Abraka junction or by the gate of Okwe Specialist Hospital along the expressway.
As a result of the alternative provided by motorcycle operators, some business owners who usually drive their private vehicles to Onitsha no longer do so, at least in the meantime.
Mr. Fidelis Aniekwe, who now patronises Okada to and from Onitsha, said he pays N200.00 to go to Onitsha every day. He added that he uses commercial bus at the close of work to return to Asaba.
“We commend the government for the construction work because it will put an end to the gridlock. For now, I no longer drive to Onitsha. I board Okada everyday.
“If they are taking only you as the passenger, they will charge N400 but if you are patient for them to add another passenger, you will pay N200.
“For me, Okada remains the fastest means to get to Onitsha in the present situation, despite the risk involved,” he said.
Contacted over the traffic situation, the sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Delta State, Mr. Udeme Bassey Eshiet, told our correspondent that his men were there in the morning to control traffic.
“Our men are always there to control traffic but nobody encourages us. They did not even inform us that they were constructing the road diversion, but I went to them. So when our men control traffic till about noon, they would be tired.
“But during the Easter celebration, we were on ground to ensure free flow of traffic. I personally monitored the situation. The problem at times is the activities of touts who collect money from drivers to create multiple lanes.
“It is only the police that can address that kind of situation because we are not armed. I can use my stick to harass them at times but if it were to be the police, the issue of multiple lanes being created will stop. The police should draft men to the place to maintain order.
“However, what is going on there is temporary; they are constructing a permanent diversion to the second Niger Bridge. So they encroached into one of the lanes of the old road.
“This is a build up on the gains we had during last December when the new bridge was temporarily opened. Now that the Federal Government has decided to create this diversion to open the bridge for permanent use, we are happy.
“I only want to appeal to people to be patient and bear with whatever inconvenience they are experiencing now because this is a permanent solution to the usual gridlock frequently recorded on that corridor,” he said.
Daily Sun observed that construction of the link road was at stone base level. Some workers at the site, who pleaded not to be named because they were not authorised to speak, said they were working to meet the May 29 handover date.
According to the construction workers, the link road to the new bridge would facilitate movement directly to Obosi enroute Owerri and other parts along the corridor.
The workers said construction work has been stalled at the initial proposed approach road to the new bridge which connects the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha highway behind Asaba Airport, because of lack of mobilisation on the part of government for that particular job.
Last year, some property owners at the proposed approach road corridor, protested that the Federal Government has abandoned the idea of constructing that road after the same government stopped them from developing their properties on ground that they were on the right of way.
The property owners who hail from Oko, Okwe, Asaba and Okpanam, said the Federal Government has not fulfilled it’s promise to compensate them for the properties.
