Oba Adesoji Aderemi East-Bye Pass:The Making Of A New Osun

By Kingsley Omoyeni

Reducing the distance between people, markets, services and knowledge – or simply ‘getting people connected’ – is a great part of what economic growth is all about.

November 26 interchange bridge of the Oba Adesoji Aderemi East Bypass Road, Osogbo

Although virtual connectivity has become increasingly important today with the emergence of new communication avenues, a good and reliable transport network remains vital. There is a very strong positive correlation between a country’s economic development and the quality of its road network. The Aregbesola administration has nevertheless made significant efforts to improve the road situation as seen in the increased amounts allocated to the sector over the past few years.

In the quest for the social economic development of an area especially in the 20th century, good road network play a very significant role in the process of economically developming of any society that is serious and eager to achieve any meaningful growth.

November 26 interchange bridge of the Oba Adesoji Aderemi East Bypass Road, Osogbo

Apart from the fact that good roads speed up the social economic development of an area, it also goes a long way in adding beauty to the enviroment thereby attracting would be investors to that particular area.

It interesting to know that the Aregbesola administration upon taking the mantle of leadership made it clear to whoever cared to listen that his administration was ready to turn the the state of Osun into a massive construction sight, a promise which he has kept and is still continuing in that stead.

The depth of commitment of the present administration to road transformation is evident in the fact that Osun is now a massive road construction site. The present government is constructing, reconstructing and rehabilitating roads all over the state.

To the relief of both the intra and inter-state commutters who constantly experience hardship in navigating through the Osogbo city centers, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola flagged off the construction of the East-Bye Pass road, a road which has been attempted by two preceeding administrations of Chief Bisi Akande and Prince Olagunsoye between 1999 and 2010 without success due to financial constraints.

The 18 kilometer Road named after a former governor of old western region and a former Oni of Ife, Sir Adesoji Aderemi is known as the Oba Adesoji Aderemi East-West Bye Pass and is designed to lead to all artery roads in the capital city as well as other interstate roads.

The Road, which is nearing its completion, has already been functioning as the viable alternative route for commuters just passing through the state without having to go through the traffic in the city.

Traffic now flows freely as the new Bye Pass provides alternative route to various destinations within and outside Osogbo the state capital.

When completed, the road, which is circular, will link with the Ring Road (Ibrahim Babangida Way) to form a complete circle round the state capital Osogbo.

The idea behind the construction of Oba Aderemi East Bye Pass Road according to Governor Aregbesola is to reduce the traffic congestion daily experienced on the road leading to Osogbo and to reduce the man hours being lost to traffic.

Those who are heading to other states in the South-West or North and passed through Osun will no long need to go through Osogbo town with the new Bye Pass, thereby removing the traffic they normally experience withing the state capital.

The road which is estimated to cost about N14.5bn, can be referred to as circumferential highway starting from the Roundabout along Iwo road and passes through Ofatedo to Ataoja Grammar School, through Ilesa Road and terminates at Osogbo city Stadium roundabout area.

The project has as its features, the construction of new culverts , three river bridges, concrete side drainage and retaining walls, pavement surface and marking, construction of railway underpass, construction of interchange and provision of street light.

The road, awarded to a Nigerian-Turkish construction Company, Messrs Slava Yeditepe, is being constructed to meet very high standards in modern road construction. It’s being constructed with two asphaltic surface layers and 40mm binder with 30mm wearing.

The road is made up of four major bridges which has been carefully and significantly named by the Governor himself.

We have the November 26th and August 9th bridge which runs over the Osun river as well as the November 27th inter-change bridge and the five judges bridge which are all at advanced stages of completion.

A drive through the entire length of the 18kilometer road which starts at Omobolanle junction will take you through places like : Ofatedo junction to Ebunoluwa, to Ataoja, from their you will get to Okonfo area and then you will proceed to UniOsun before you head to Oke-Osun.

It will also take you through places like the Ilesa garage, to Oke-bale and to Fiwasaye area while also taking you to Iludun/testing ground before terminating at the Osogbo city stadium.

A chat with some obviously excited residents of Osogbo, Ofatedo and other areas of the road showed that the construction of the Oba Adesoji Aderemi road has really gone a long way in easing vehicular movements in the affected areas as well as boosting the economic activities of the area.

A mechanic, Mr Olalekan Olagunje whose workshop is at the Omobolanle junction of the road who expressed gratitude to the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola explained that the road has gone a long way in opening the area to more commercial and buisness activities.

He said it’s as if the road was constructed mainly because quarry drivers, stressing that they are now able to run more trips and make more money just because the road is now in good condition.

Another buisness owner at the Omobolanle area, Mr Seweje Samuel who manages a (pay tv outlet) emphasised that patronage has been on a high side since the commencement of work on the East Bye Pass, because traffic has increased in the area.

Also speaking, the principal of a private school along the road, Mr Taiwo .O said the construction of the road has brought tremendous opportunities to the school, saying that enrolment in the school has increased because parents now find it more easy to drive to the school premises unlike before when the road was in bad condition.

Another resident of Ofatedo area, Engr. Abayomi Opaleye explained that residents of the area had hitherto been experiencing series of hardship in driving along the road before the intervention of of Ogbeni Aregbesola on the road.

He said many of the residents of the area had always found it extremely difficult to get to their various homes, while stressing that road had brought about a lot of development to the area as new businesses are springing up almost on a daily basis.

Today, with the nearly completion of the East-Bye Pass road, history will never forget the visionary leader, who is turning the state into a modern day state with its state of the art infrastructural facilities.

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has helped in raising the bar for land owners, would-be investors, motorists, small and medium buisness enterprises and put a smile on the faces of the citizenry through the construction of the East-Bye Pass road.