Commuters and motorists plying the Abuja-Kaduna highway were stranded for several hours yesterday as a massive gridlock caused by potholes paralysed traffic along the Katari-Gidan Busa section of the highway.
The development caused significant delays for motorists, with hundreds of vehicles reportedly stuck on the affected section of the busy highway, reports Sunday Trust.
A commuter, Ismaila Yakubu, who spoke with our correspondent earlier yesterday, said some motorists had been trapped on the road for several hours.
“Some cars have been here since 2am due to the gridlock. Even though officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps are there, they could not control it.
“One of them I spoke to said the cause is a pothole close to a bridge that is causing accidents and affecting the movement of cars. The officer said they have raised the issue of carrying out palliative work on the section with the contractor, Infiouest Nigeria Limited, but they have failed to do anything about it.
“The government needs to expedite work on the road to stop the misery people are going through on this road.”
The Abuja-Kaduna highway has been under construction for the past eight years, with motorists and commuters frequently experiencing difficulties along some sections of the road.
The Abuja-Kaduna section, despite its importance as a major link between the Federal Capital Territory and the North-West, has seen comparatively little work when compared with the Kaduna, Zaria and Kano sections.
The heavy volume of traffic on the highway, especially during Sallah festivals, has also led to frequent gridlocks, with commuters during the last celebration reportedly spending days on the road before reaching their destinations.
The recurring gridlocks and poor condition of some sections of the highway have continued to cause hardship for commuters, with motorists calling for urgent intervention to improve the road and ease traffic movement.
The government promised to complete the road by November this year.
