The Federal Road Safety Corps, Benue State Command, has strongly warned articulated trucks against parking on the Katsina-Ala bridge in the state.
The Unit Commander of FRSC RS 4.23 in Katsina-Ala, Terngu Adagba, gave this warning, while speaking with newsmen in Makurdi, the state capital, saying thag this could lead to the bridge’s collapse.
He noted that despite several warnings, truck drivers continued to use the bridge as a parking lot.
Adagba warned against the dangers posed by the stationary trucks, maintaining that their presence could lead to bridge fatigue, damage, or even collapse.
The unit commander explained that the bridge, which was recently rehabilitated by the Federal Government, was not meant for parking trucks, especially heavy ones like tankers and trailers.
“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,” he said.
While urging the articulated truck drivers to stop parking on the bridge, Adagba identified the need to protect the bridge’s structural integrity.
He further warned that the indiscriminate parking of trucks could endanger the safety of commuters and lead to a disastrous outcome if immediate action is not taken.
