Accidents, Road Construction Worsen Kaduna-Abuja Traffic Gridlock

Several motorists and passengers were left stranded for hours on Monday after multiple accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles triggered a massive traffic jam at Gidan Busa, shortly before Katari, along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

The congestion stretched across a long section of the highway, leaving vehicles carrying passengers and goods trapped under the scorching sun.

The disruption forced many travellers to miss scheduled appointments, business meetings and delivery deadlines.

One of those affected, Sarah Monday, a fashion designer heading to Abuja for a contract meeting, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the traffic prevented her from attending the appointment.

She urged the Federal Government to expedite the completion of the highway, saying this would ease the difficulties faced by motorists, particularly during festive periods such as Sallah and Christmas when traffic on the route usually increases.

The scale of the congestion was evident in the long queue of vehicles, which included livestock trucks, heavily loaded trailers, fuel tankers, minibuses and private cars. With movement almost completely halted, passengers were forced to endure the delay in the open heat.

Some travellers climbed onto trucks and cargo loads to find somewhere to sit, while others gathered beside the road or walked along the queue in search of information about when traffic would resume.

The situation was worsened by the unfinished highway, which had forced motorists to use a dusty, narrow diversion running alongside sections of the concrete carriageway still under construction.

Abubakar Lawal, a motorist caught in the congestion, attributed the situation partly to the impatience of drivers, adding that there was no indication of when the road would be cleared.

Another traveller, Yusuf Aliyu, said he would have reconsidered his journey to Abuja if he had known the condition of the highway before setting out.

For traders and other road users whose businesses depend on the corridor, the delay meant more than lost time, as deliveries were disrupted and goods, including livestock and perishable items, remained exposed to the heat.

A businessman, Adewale Usman, identified trailers and other heavy-duty vehicles as major contributors to recurring traffic problems on the route.

He called on the Federal Government to revive rail transportation so that fuel tankers and other heavy vehicles could move goods over long distances by rail rather than placing additional pressure on the nation’s highways.

A road safety official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also blamed some of the congestion on drivers’ failure to exercise patience.

However, the official disclosed that the route records at least 20 accidents involving heavy-duty vehicles every month, with several resulting in fatalities and, in some cases, the death of livestock.

The disclosure points to a recurring safety challenge along the highway, where accidents involving large vehicles can bring traffic to a standstill for hours. The problem is particularly severe in areas where ongoing construction has narrowed available routes and forced motorists onto temporary diversions.

By the time the report was filed, some frustrated motorists had begun turning back towards Kaduna, with several indicating plans to reach Abuja through the Kachia-Bwari route instead.

Others remained trapped in the queue, uncertain when normal traffic movement would resume.

For affected travellers, the disruption highlighted the urgent need to complete the highway and address the recurring accidents that continue to make journeys along the corridor difficult.

They appealed to the Federal Government to accelerate the road project and improve safety, warning that without lasting solutions, motorists could face similar hardships during the approaching festive seasons.

NAN