East-West Road Collapses at Agbarho-Ughelli, Commuters Stranded in Delta Flood

Commuters and motorists were stranded on Tuesday after a section of the East-West Road at Uvwiama/Orido Junction, along the Agbarho-Ughelli highway in Ughelli North, Delta State, collapsed following days of heavy rainfall and flooding.

The collapse disrupted traffic on the major highway linking Delta State to Bayelsa and other parts of the South-South, forcing motorists to seek longer alternative routes.

Sources said the affected section began to fail on Monday evening after a fuel tanker fell on the already weakened portion of the road.

The situation worsened Tuesday morning as continuous rainfall and rising floodwaters caused the entire lane to cave in.

As of 3 p.m. on Tuesday, efforts were ongoing to evacuate the fallen tanker, while motorists and residents gathered at the scene.

Policemen were deployed to control traffic and prevent further congestion. Motorists fear the remaining lane could also collapse if the flooding persists.

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“We are seriously worried because only one lane is still passable, and traffic is already building up. If this remaining lane fails, this road will be completely cut off,” a stranded motorist, Jacob, said.

Another road user blamed inadequate drainage, saying the drainage system could not handle the volume of water from the prolonged rainfall.

“This water has nowhere to go. The drainage is not enough. Government needs to act quickly before we have a major disaster,” he said.

Residents appealed to federal and state authorities to urgently intervene, warning that continued use of the single lane could trigger total collapse.

Vehicles heading to Bayelsa and other South-South states were diverted to longer routes, while those using the road faced heavy gridlock.

A food seller at the scene claimed an Okada rider narrowly escaped falling into the floodwater around the failed section on Tuesday afternoon.

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Meanwhile, flooding has submerged more communities in Agbarho, including Oviri, Ovwiama and Uvwiamuge, while in Ughelli South, Oviri-Olomu, Okpare, Ogoni and Umolo were also heavily flooded after torrential downpour.

Motorists have been advised to exercise caution and avoid the collapsed section until it is assessed and declared safe.