Ogun Residents Seek Pedestrian Bridge After Repeated Crashes on Sagamu–Benin Expressway
Residents of Orije Apakin Community Development Association in Sagamu, Ogun State, are asking authorities to provide safer pedestrian crossings along the Sagamu–Benin Expressway after repeated crashes near the Celplas Company junction.
Residents say the incidents have caused deaths and serious injuries among people trying to cross the busy road.
Those casualty accounts come from community members and have not been established as official crash statistics.
Residents Describe Dangerous Crossing
Community members say pedestrians regularly cross the expressway to reach homes and workplaces.
They also complain that high vehicle speeds and ongoing construction make the crossing more dangerous.
One resident said serious crashes occur “almost every week,” while another said three people died within a month.
Those figures remain resident accounts rather than verified official totals.
Community Wants Bridge and Speed Controls
Residents are calling for a pedestrian bridge at the junction.
They also want speed breakers, warning signs and other immediate measures to reduce risk while road construction continues.
The concern is that people still need to cross the highway even though there is no dedicated pedestrian bridge at the location.
TRACE Warns Against Speeding
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency says the expressway remains a construction zone.
TRACE spokesperson Babatunde Akinbiyi said motorists are expected to observe a 50 km/h speed limit within the construction area.
He also said some motorists exceed that limit and that the agency would continue enforcement, public education and engagement with transport stakeholders.
Works Ministry Says Bridge Is Outside Current Scope
The Federal Ministry of Works says a pedestrian bridge at the location is not included in the current scope of the road project.
That does not amount to a rejection of every possible safety intervention.
It leaves a more immediate accountability question:
If a pedestrian bridge is outside the current project scope, what immediate safety measures will protect people who still have to cross the road?
The Safety Test
The absence of a pedestrian bridge has not been established as the cause of any specific death.
But the community complaints, ongoing construction and TRACE’s concern about speeding all point to a location where pedestrian safety requires attention.
Possible responses could include stronger speed enforcement, warning signs, managed crossings or future pedestrian infrastructure.
The key issue is whether authorities act before more serious incidents are reported.
What IDNN Is Watching
IDNN will monitor any response from the Federal Ministry of Works, Ogun traffic authorities or the road contractor, as well as verified crash data for the Celplas junction and any decision on pedestrian-safety infrastructure.
