The Federal Street Security Corps in Benue State has raised the alarm about the approaching collapse of the Katsina-Ala bridge following truck drivers’ insistence on turning the bridge right into a car parking zone.
Katsina-Ala Unit Commander, FRSC RS 4.23, Terngu Adagba, lamented that several warnings to the articulated truck drivers to cease parking on the bridge have been ignored.
On Monday, talking with journalists in Makurdi, the state capital, Adagba mentioned that parking trailers with contents on the bridge could be harmful and result in imminent collapse.
The bridge hyperlinks the North Japanese, a part of Benue State, to Taraba and Cross River states and was lately rehabilitated by the Federal Authorities.
Also Read: Improve emergency management, Reps urge NEMA, FRSC
Adagba mentioned, “We’re sitting on a keg of gunpowder for vehicles, tankers, and trailers parking on the Katsina-Ala bridge.
“When these autos are stationary on the bridge for a long time, they leave an unfavourable impression, leading to deterioration, bridge fatigue, injury, and even collapse.
“An empty 20-ton tanker weighs 2,000kg, and a 40-ton empty tanker doubles the kilogrammes. With a mean truck weighing 14,000kg, the total weight of 25 stationary vehicles on a bridge, for example, could be around 450,000kg.
“It’s not proper for vehicles and tankers to park on Katsina-Ala Bridge because the bridge was not designed as a park for them.”
Whereas calling on articulated truck drivers to henceforth cease parking on the bridge, Adagba mentioned the indiscriminate parking of articulated vehicles that has begun alongside the Katsina-Ala Bridge might pose a hazard to the bridge.
Connect With Us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Telegram | WhatsApp Channel | Quora
