Commuters stranded as gridlock returns to Abuja-Kaduna highway

On Saturday, commuters and motorists faced a significant ordeal on the Abuja-Kaduna highway as a massive gridlock due to potholes paralyzed traffic along the Katari-Gidan Busa section. The situation caused considerable delays, with hundreds of vehicles reportedly stuck on the congested stretch of the busy highway. Ismaila Yakubu, a commuter, shared his experience with Daily Trust, stating that some motorists had been trapped on the road since 2am.

Despite the presence of Federal Road Safety Corps officers, they were unable to alleviate the issue. The officer informed Yakubu that the cause of the gridlock was a pothole near a bridge, which has been a persistent problem leading to accidents. The officer mentioned that they had raised the issue with the contractor, Infiouest Nigeria Limited, but no action had been taken.

Yakubu lamented the ongoing misery people are enduring on this road and called for urgent government intervention to address the road's poor condition and alleviate the hardships faced by commuters. The Abuja-Kaduna highway, a critical link between the Federal Capital Territory and the North-West, has been under construction for eight years, but compared to other sections like Kaduna, Zaria, and Kano, it has seen minimal improvement.

The highway's heavy traffic volume, particularly during major festivals like Sallah, exacerbates the frequent gridlocks, with commuters during the previous celebration reportedly spending days on the road to reach their destinations. The persistent gridlocks and subpar condition of some sections have continued to cause significant hardship for commuters, leading to calls for immediate action from motorists to enhance the road's state and ease traffic flow. The government had pledged to complete the road project by November.