Trailers turning Benue’s long bridge to parking lot, FRSC warns

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Monday reiterated warnings to drivers of heavy duty articulated vehicles to desist from using the Katsina-Ala long Bridge in Katsina-Ala LGA of Benue State as their parking lots.

Our correspondent reports that the bridge, which links vehicular movements between Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi and Taraba states, was recently rehabilitated by the administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari following its dilapidation for many years.

Assistant Corps Commander, Terngu Adagba, who is Unit Commander of the FRSC RS 4.23 in Katsina-Ala, has again warned in an interview with our correspondent in Makurdi, that parking trailers with contents on the bridge could be dangerous and lead to imminent collapse.

Adagba said, “For trucks, tankers and trailers parking on the Katsina-Ala Bridge, we are sitting on a keg of gun powder.

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“When these vehicles are stationary on the bridge for long time, they have negative impact, including deterioration, bridge fatigue, damage or even collapse.

“An empty 20 feet tank weighs 2000 kilograms, a 40 feet empty tanker doubles the kilograms. With an average truck weighing 14,000 kilograms the total weight of 25 stationery trucks on a bridge for instance could be around 450,000 kilograms. “It’s therefore not right, for trucks and tankers to park on Katsina-Ala Bridge because the bridge was not designed as park for them,” he said.

 The FRSC official stressed that the indiscriminate parking of articulated vehicles which has started along the Katsina-Ala bridge could portend future danger for the bridge, urging the local authorities to stop such immediately.