Gombe State: FERMA, FRSC intervene to curtail crashes on near-collapsed Bridge

Authorities of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency, FERMA, the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC and the leadership of Bambam Community, Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State have mobilised support for the near-collapsed Bridge in the area.

A statement by the FERMA said it had specifically worked with the community leaders at the location on the bridge to carry out palliative repairs to ameliorate the situation.

The statement said it had in its short-term measure, reinstated a failed Approach-Slab at the Gadan-Taba Bridge, along Gombe – Numan Road and installed additional caution signs on both sides of the bridge, which serves Adamawa and Taraba States, where most food grains and agricultural produce are cultivated and transported from.

The statement said the interventions included overlaying of the depressed section of the carriageway with mass concrete.

For the Long-Term, FERMA said it had sent a detailed status report to the Headquarters in Abuja, which provided video clips and proposals for the reinstatement of the failed section of the bridge approach and embankment.

FERMA said its management was desirous of permanently reinstating the location.

In the meantime, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Gombe State, Corps Commander Ishaku Ibrahim, said the agency had equally taken some measures to prevent or reduce the number of crashes on the bridge.

Mr Ibrahim said the agency had been carrying out sensitization campaigns on the imminent hazards on such roads and setting up reflective tapes to alert motorists driving at night.

“So that in the night it will be visible to commuters that, that portion of the road is dangerous,” Mr Ibrahim said.

He said the agency had also decided to place warning signs some 500 metres away from the bridge on both sides so that motorists would observe the signs well ahead.

Mr Ibrahim, however, cautioned motorists against over speeding on the road, due to its smoothness, warning that some of the causes of crashes on the bridge are the sloppy nature and smoothness of the road, which deceives motorists that the road is good, without taking note of the dangers ahead.

He urges motorists to be careful in observing road signs placed on both sides of the bridge because it reflected at night to alert night commuters.

“There were some vehicles that had accidents ad were not removed from the scene early and some came with speed and they didn’t observe and they brush the vehicle and the crashes occur,” Mr Ibrahim added.

PIAK