Following the collapse of the Moro Bridge, traffic along the Ilorin–Igbeti Federal Highway in Kwara State’s Asa Local administration Area was significantly affected, leading the state administration to act quickly.
According to reports , a heavy-duty truck’s weight caused the bridge to collapse on Thursday at around five in the morning, severing a vital transportation route and trapping numerous commuters.
Drivers and other road users bemoaned the development, calling it a significant setback that has raised transportation costs, interfered with business operations, and slowed the flow of products and services.
“This development has negatively affected economic activities, causing delays and increasing the cost of transportation for commuters and businesses,” said by a businesswoman whose name is Kafayat.
In response, the Commissioner for Works, Engineer Abdulquawiy Olododo, announced an immediate traffic diversion to lessen the impact of the incident in a statement released through the Ministry’s Press Secretary.
In order to minimize inconvenience and stop more incidents, he advised drivers to use caution when taking alternate routes.
“After the Moro Bridge collapsed overnight, the Kwara State Government is working with federal authorities to immediately divert traffic,” the commissioner said.
“A heavy-duty truck crossed the bridge in the early hours of today, causing a significant disruption along the route,” he continued.
He also said that engineers had been sent to the area to start palliative work on alternate routes to reduce traffic.
According to Olododo, “engineers have been mobilized to begin palliative work on diversion routes to reduce the hardship being experienced by road users.”
He went on to say that federal authorities had assured the state government that work on a new Moro Bridge, which is just a few meters from the fallen building, was underway.
The commissioner added that, while pleading with commuters for patience, traffic managers had been instructed to work with transport unions to guarantee orderly passage.
An essential link between Kwara and Oyo states is the Moro Bridge, which is situated between Oko-Olowo/Mandala in Ilorin West and Asa Local Government Area along the Ilorin–Igbeti Federal Highway.
For many years, the Bailey bridge, which dates back to the colonial era, served as a vital but precarious link between Kwara’s northern district and Oyo State, as well as roads leading to the border with the Benin Republic. Due to ongoing structural problems, it has undergone numerous rehabilitations throughout the years.
