The Benue State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has expressed concern over the increasing number of articulated trucks parking on the Katsina-Ala bridge.
Terngu Adagba, the Unit Commander of FRSC RS 4.23 in Katsina-Ala, who warned that this could lead to the bridge’s collapse, said that despite several warnings, truck drivers continued to use the bridge as a parking lot.
While speaking to newsmen in Makurdi, the state capital, Adagba warned against the dangers posed by the stationary trucks, insisting that their presence could lead to bridge fatigue, damage, or even collapse.
The unit commander noted that the bridge, which was recently rehabilitated by the Federal Government, was not designed to accommodate parked trucks, especially heavy ones like tankers and trailers.
He said, “For trucks, tankers, and trailers parking on the Katsina-Ala bridge, we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder.
*When these vehicles are stationary on the bridge for a long time, they have a negative impact, including deterioration, bridge fatigue, damage, or even collapse.
“An empty 20 feet tanker weighs 2,000kg , a 40 feet empty tanker doubles the kilogrammes. With an average truck weighing 14,000kg, the total weight of 25 stationary trucks on a bridge, for instance, could be around 450,000kg.
“It’s therefore not right for trucks and tankers to park on Katsina-Ala Bridge because the bridge was not designed as a park for them.”
Calling on articulated truck drivers to refrain from parking on the bridge, Adagba stated the need to protect the bridge’s structural integrity.
He further warned that the indiscriminate parking of trucks could jeopardize the safety of commuters and lead to a disastrous outcome if immediate action is not taken.
