Rigachikun bridge collapse: Motorists on Kaduna-Zaria Road seek alternative routes

Motorists playing Kaduna-Zaria Road on Monday resorted to alternative routes, following the collapse of part of Rigachikun bridge in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a part of the bridge partially collapsed on Sunday, resulting in heavy traffic gridlock.

Some of the motorists, who spoke to NAN on Monday in Kaduna, said although the situation was, unexpected, they had resorted to alternative routes to and from Zaria.

Mallam Zakari Mohammed, a civil servant resident in Kaduna, said upon the development, many motorists now go through the Airport Road, off Birnin-Gwari Road, through Baraka La’u to link come out at the Kaduna-Zaria highway after the collapsed bridge.

“The alternative route is a bit longer, but safer, considering the condition of the bridge, which may completely collapse any moment,” Mohammed noted.

Also, Mallam Ibrahim Mai’iko, a commercial bus operator and resident of Ungwan Sarki, told NAN that upon the development, commercial motorists also follow behind 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kawo through Dankande settlement.

Elisha Emmanuel, a resident of Sabo, on his part, recalled the experience he went through while returning from Zaria on Sunday shortly after the incident.

Emmanuel said: “I spent over three hours as there was heavy traffic jam after the incident happened.

“It took the intervention of Road Safety officials that controlled traffic which later eased the gridlock.”

The motorists, however, urged the government to urgently reconstruct the collapsing bridge so as to ease the hardship faced by motorists.

Efforts to get speak with the director in charge of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing in the state proved abortive as he said to be out of town on an official engagement.

But the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Hafiz Mohammed, said corps marshals have been mobilised to the place to ease traffic flow.

Mohammed said: “We have put in place route lining on one lane while our men are in place to ensure traffic flow.

“Also, we have taken measures to remove broken down vehicles immediately to avoid traffic jam.”

He urged motorists to drive carefully on the route and bear with the situation pending the time when the appropriate government agencies fix the bridge.