Fallen truck causes gridlock on Abuja airport road

A collapsed container truck between the FHA Bridge and the ShopRite Pedestrian Bridge along the Lugbe-Airport Road in Abuja has caused a major traffic gridlock on the route.

Our correspondent gathered that the truck, which collapsed on the Expressway at about 9 am on Tuesday, forced outbound vehicles headed towards the airport to divert to the opposite lane, causing even more congestion on the Expressway.

The FCT Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Muta’a Chorrie, confirming the incident to our correspondent, said officers of the FRSC were on hand trying to remove the container and clear the gridlock, while stating that it was a fallen container and not a tanker, as some reports had claimed.

“It was just a container that fell on the road. We are making efforts to remove the container and control the traffic. So it’s a container that fell on Airport Road today, not a tanker. I have not received the full details yet. When I get them, I’ll get back to you,” he said.

Giving further updates, the Commander said the gridlock took between two to three hours to clear, stating that the collapsed truck was carrying a 40-foot trailer that had fallen and blocked three-quarters of the road, adding that no casualties had been recorded.

“It was a 40-foot trailer that fell, and we struggled to clear the road for about two to three hours because it was so heavy. The road is clear now, but it was very difficult.”

“There were no casualties. The tractor fell with the 40-foot container on it, which blocked almost three-quarters of the main lane, causing the hold-up. People started driving erratically, making it difficult for the traffic to return to normal, but we have managed to resolve that now,” he said.