David Umahi, minister of works, has announced the restoration of normal traffic on the Abuja-Lokoja highway after a weekend blockade triggered by a clash between truck drivers and military personnel.
Motorists plying the Lokoja-Abuja highway have been left stranded due to gridlock, barely days before Christmas.
Drivers said the snarling traffic on the route has persisted for three days.
In a swift response, Umahi has directed the immediate opening of completed portions of the ongoing expressway and authorised full deployment of security and road management teams to clear the bottleneck.
In a statement, Mohammed Ahmed, director of press and public relations at ministry of works, said field teams, working alongside the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other agencies, cleared the corridor around 2:00 a.m.
He said Umahi has urged motorists to drive cautiously and patiently amid heightened holiday travel.
“The incident, which reportedly involved the smashing of a truck’s windscreen, led to a blockade of a portion of the road by truck drivers, resulting in severe traffic gridlock along the alignment,” the statement reads.
“This caused significant delays and hardship to road users travelling towards Lokoja and other destinations during this festive season.
“In response, the Honourable Minister directed the immediate opening of already completed sections of the Expressway and approved the deployment of all necessary measures to restore free movement and ease the hardship being experienced by the road users.”
