A portion of the Ado–Ilawe Road, which serves as the alternative route from Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, to Akure, Ondo State, collapsed on Wednesday, plunging motorists plying the road to their destinations in the states, into untold hardship.

Our Source gathered that when the road caved in, it left many motorists frustrated as they had to turn back and look for alternative routes.

The development was said to have forced motorists to return to the state capital to decide whether to use the Ado–Akure Road which was in a deplorable condition or to go through the tortuous Ado – Iyin – Igede – Ilawe Road to reach their destinations.

Our correspondent gathered that the portion of the Ado–Ilawe Road caved in because water from nearby rocks had penetrated beneath the road.

A traveller, Adenike Adebiyi, said no casualty was recorded in the incident because the road caved in when motorists were not plying the axis.

Adebiyi said, “We have to thank God that no vehicle was passing at the particular time the road caved in; it would have been another story by now. Initially, I was frustrated on getting to the spot, especially when I did not know any link road.

“But when I saw some vehicles making u-turns, I had to follow them through a narrow road which was not all that in good condition, to burst out at Igede Ekiti before we continued the journey to Ado Ekiti. The government has to be fast about repairing the Ado – Ilawe Road,” she said.

The Alawe of Ilawe Ekiti, Oba Adebanji Alabi, who visited the scene, sympathised with road users, adding that they would have to pass through the pains of taking longer routes to get to their destinations.

Alabi, however, called on the state government to, “as a matter of urgency, rehabilitate the road in the interest of Nigerians using the facility.”

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Roads and Infrastructure, Sunday Adunmo, who also visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment, said the state government would fix the road immediately to comfort the users.

The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Ekiti State, Olusola Joseph, said men of the corps would be on ground for traffic diversion “until the needful is done as appropriate authorities have been contacted.”