A great relief has come to motorists and commuters plying the abandoned Ikenne-Ilishan-Ago Iwoye Road, following its ongoing reconstruction by the Governor Dapo Abiodun administration.
Contract for the reconstruction of the road, which traverses three local governments of Ikenne, Odogbolu and Ijebu North, in Ogun East Senatorial District, was awarded by the former administration, but was later abandoned.
The abandonment of the road had been causing untold hardship to commuters, particularly residents of Irolu, Ijesha communities and many farm settlements located along the road.
The dilapidated condition of the road, before the efforts of the current administration, had been causing huge economic losses to residents of the communities linked by the road.
Many farm crops got rotten because most of their patrons were travellers, but had been forced to seek alternative routes to reach their destination, though at a longer time than necessary.
For commuters that were forced by the previous deplorable and failed condition of the road to seek alternative routes from Ilishan, it had been merry go rounding experience, before they could get to the university (Olabisi Onabanjo University) town of Ago Iwoye.
Though, only one side of the road, which was designed to be a dual carriageway, is already in use, the relief being experienced by commuters going to Ago Iwoye cannot be over-emphasised.
A journalist, Bankole Taiwo, who commutes on the road regularly, said the reconstructed road had brought relief to motorists and commuters.
He said before the one side of the road was reconstructed, commuters spent about two hours for a journey that should not take more than 35 minutes.
He said: “The reconstruction of the road is a big succour to motorists, commuters and many communities along the route. This is because farmers whose settlements are located along the road and whose major customers are travellers, have regained their lost customers and their crops will no longer become rotten.
“To the motorists, a journey which formerly took them about two hours, can now be covered in less than 30 minutes because they do not need to go through Ijebu Ode-Oru again.”
For drivers plying Abeokuta-Ago Iwoye, the reconstruction of the Ilishan-Ago Iwoye has reduced the number of hours they spend in covering the journey.
Messrs. Ismaula Olalekan and Kabiru Oguntade, who ply the road from Abeokuta everyday, said before the reconstruction, they used to go through Ishara road.
“The Ilishan-Ago Iwoye road is now a big relief for us. Before the road was reconstructed, we were making use of Ishara Road, which used to take us about two and a half hours, but with the road now, we spend one hour five minutes.
“We are pleased with the one side of the road that is currently being reconstructed. It has reduced the number of time spent from Abeokuta to Ago Iwoye. We are grateful for this one, but we are imploring the government to still do the remaining part of the road.
“We are already enjoying the Ilishan-Ago Iwoye Road because we can get to our destinations in time, but we are yet to increase our trips because of the strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), as most of our passengers are students of OOU,” they said.
The drivers hailed Governor Abiodun for his efforts to make roads in the state passable in the three senatorial districts.