Commuters plying the Oyo-Ogbomoso axis of the Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin Expressway have lamented what they described as the worsening condition of the road and the slow pace of its reconstruction, saying the situation has turned daily travel into a nightmare.
The deplorable state of the expressway has forced many motorists travelling from Oyo to divert to the old route, a narrow and dangerous path.
When Saturday PUNCH passed through the old road on Wednesday, thick bushes lined the corridor and there were no streetlights, making the route unsafe, especially at night.
Two fallen trailers and a 20-foot container were sighted at different points along the old Oyo-Ogbomoso Road, heightening passengers’ fears of accidents, particularly involving container-carrying trucks.
The main expressway, which is under reconstruction, has become almost impassable.
Although there are signs of ongoing work, only one lane is currently in use, and it is riddled with potholes and failed sections.
A public bus boarded by our correspondent from Ogbomoso on Thursday swerved repeatedly to avoid deep craters, prolonging the journey.
The vehicle left Ogbomoso at 11:58am and did not arrive in Ibadan until 2:10pm, far longer than the usual travel time.
There was also heavy gridlock, with several vehicles, mostly trailers and lorries, lined up for kilometres.
To escape the congestion, motorists were seen diverting intermittently between the old road, the main carriageway, and the uncompleted bypass, a dusty and rough track.
The road users, in separate interviews with Saturday PUNCH, stated that the slow pace of work and the deplorable condition of the existing lanes put lives and livelihoods at risk.
A driver, Sakiru Akande, who plied the Ibadan-Oyo route, said, “The expressway is not good.
We cannot pass there again. The old road is narrow and has many bends. It is risky at night, so we only travel during the daytime. If the road is okay, we will not be experiencing such prolonged gridlock.”
Another driver, Muideen Adewale, who operates between Ogbomoso and Ibadan, said a journey that should take about two hours now lasts over three.
He said, “The main expressway is no longer passable from Ibadan, and the old road is also not safe at night because of speed breakers and bushes everywhere.”
A passenger, Mrs Ireti Ola, who travelled from Ilorin, said the bad road caused her severe discomfort.
“Everything was fine until we got to the expressway. I sat by the window and kept hitting my body whenever the driver dodged potholes. I am already feeling pains all over,” she said.
Another passenger, who identified himself simply as Idowu, said, “The road construction is taking too long, and they should have adopted a system that would allow ease for road users.”
Also, the Chairman, Park Management System, Ilorin-Ogbomoso Unit, Sunday Oyelami, said the condition of the road was taking a heavy toll on vehicles and transport business.
“Our vehicles get spoilt after almost every trip. In three or four days, you must change one part or another if you don’t want that vehicle to break down on the next trip. The people working on the expressway work for a while, abandon it, return, and abandon it again. It is a big headache.
“If the road is fixed quickly, it will benefit both drivers and passengers. We can even reduce transport fares. What we spend on repairs is part of why transport is expensive, not only fuel,” he added.
The Ibadan-Oyo-Ogbomoso-Ilorin Expressway is a major federal highway linking the southern and northern parts of the country and serving as a key route for the movement of farm produce and other goods.
In March 2025, the Federal Government approved N733.89bn for the dualisation of the Oyo-Ogbomoso Road after terminating the 52-kilometre contract earlier awarded to Reynolds Construction Company, with September 2026 set as the completion deadline.
The new contractor, JRB Construction Company Ltd, in July 2025, assured that the project would be completed before the official deadline.
When contacted on Thursday and Friday, the spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Works, Mohammed Ahmed, promised to contact the director in charge of the project and revert to this correspondent.
He has yet to respond as of the time of filing this report.
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