Continuous heavy rainfall has again submerged sections of Ariyo Bridge in Ona Ara local government area of Oyo State, leaving commuters and motorists stranded for hours while disrupting commercial and social activities.
The bridge serves as a major link connecting several communities and facilitates the daily movement of people and goods. However, whenever heavy rains occur, the Odo Orogun Stream at Ariyo often overflows its banks, submerging portions of the road and triggering severe traffic congestion along the corridor.
Although no casualties were recorded, many vehicles were unable to pass through the flooded sections, forcing motorists to abandon the route and seek alternative roads to their destinations.
Residents who spoke with newsmen, described the flooding as a recurring challenge during the rainy season.
They blamed the situation on the limited capacity of the bridge and appealed to the Oyo State Government to provide a permanent solution to prevent future occurrences.
Speaking on the issue, the Oyo State government, through the chairman of Ona Ara Local Government, Dr. Temitope Kolapo, who visited the affected area to assess the situation, described the rainfall as unusually heavy and acknowledged the hardship experienced by commuters.
He said work on the Olorunsogo–Akanran Road project was ongoing and disclosed that he had directed the contractor handling the project to immediately deploy equipment to create temporary drainage channels that would divert flood water into the nearby river, pending a permanent solution.
The latest incident adds to a series of flooding episodes that have repeatedly affected Ariyo Bridge during the rainy season.
Over the years, residents and road users have raised concerns over the bridge’s inability to cope with increased water volume, with successive incidents causing traffic disruptions, delaying commuters and highlighting the urgent need for improved drainage infrastructure and a permanent engineering solution.
