The Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, has banned heavy-duty trucks from plying the Olaiya Bridge in Osogbo.
The directive, which empowers the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to take action, was ordered due to safety reasons arising from the technical reports on the state of the bridge.
This directive was contained in a statement issued by the spokesperson to the state governor, Olawale Rasheed, on Monday in Osogbo.
The statement said: “The Governor, who presided over a security council meeting at Osogbo, said the decision became necessary to protect the bridge from possible collapse and avoid untoward happenings with continuous passage by heavy trucks.”
Describing the decision as a preemptive step, Governor Adeleke said the ministry should erect barricades across the bridge to allow only cars and buses to ply through the road.
According to the statement: “As a step towards implementing the directive, the Governor also instructed the ministry to issue a travel advisory with radio jingles to sensitise members of the public and the transport ecosystem.
“The Governor assured the public that the decision was taken to protect the public and state assets while a long-lasting review of the technical status of the bridge is being conducted by the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure.”
There have been growing safety concerns by residents of the state capital over the influx of heavy-duty trucks plying the Gbongan-Ibadan Road.
The immediate cause of the development is due to the state of disrepair of the Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin expressway.
The trucks also access the Olaiya flyover, which many consider not strong enough to withstand their weight.
