From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has cautioned drivers of heavy duty vehicles; trucks, tankers and trailers, to stop parking their loaded vehicles on Kastina-Ala bridge in Kastina-Ala Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State to save it from imminent collapse.

Assistant Corps Commander, Terngu Adagba, gave this warning on Monday in a chat with newsmen in Makurdi.

He noted that parking trailers with contents on the bridge could endanger the bridge leading to imminent collapse.

The Kastina-Ala bridge links vehicular movements from Benue to Cross River, Ebonyi and Taraba states and was recently rehabilitated by the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari following its dilapidation for many years.

Adagba who is Unit Commander of the FRSC RS 4.23 in Katsina-Ala, said, “For trucks, tankers and trailers parking on the Katsina-Ala bridge means 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 impacts, 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.

He said the indiscriminate parking of articulated vehicles which has started along the Katsina-Ala bridge could portend future danger for the bridge.

He warned drivers to desist from such acts and also cautioned local authorities to put an end to the parking of heavy duty vehicles on the bridge.


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