- Experts demand climate-resilient engineering framework
BY OUR CORRESPONDENT – Torrential rainfall has washed away the major Gadan-Mallam-Audu bridge in Taraba State, severing the vital transport link between Jalingo, the State capital and communities in Yorro and Zing local government areas of the State.
Reports said the rainstorm pounded the North-East State for over five hours on Friday and ultimately overwhelmed the critical transit route located in Mallam Audu village.
However, experts said to prevent future structural collapse of the affected bridge, the Taraba State Government and the Federal Ministry of Works must transition from temporary fixes to a climate-resilient engineering framework, especially in terms of hydrological durability.
Reports said the rainstorm pounded the North-East State for over five hours on Friday and ultimately overwhelmed the critical transit route located in Mallam Audu village.
The sudden failure of this vital structure has severed the connection to the state capital, leaving hundreds of commuters, farmers, and students stranded while paralyzing daily economic activities for surrounding rural communities.
With many rural settlements trapped on both sides of the river in Taraba, as well as neighbouring parts of Adamawa State, this latest structural failure marks the second time the bridge has given way in just two years.
Some community members said the impassable route has caused immediate hardship for farmers, students, and civil servants, as many are now forced to wait for emergency interventions.
They further said that without an immediate workaround, the region now faces a severe logistical crisis, with reports confirming that scores of residents are now stranded on opposite banks of the river, facing an indefinite cutoff from accessing essential services and transporting farm produce to other parts of the North-East region.
Speaking with some reporters, a resident of Mallam Audu, Hudu Adamu, described the bridge as a major route for transporting farm produce and livestock to Jalingo and other parts of the country.
According to him, cracks had appeared on the structure for several months, and reports were made to both Yorro Local Government and the Taraba State Government, but alleged that no action was taken to prevent its collapse.
He said the bridge was originally constructed through the intervention of Hon. Kasimu Bello Maigari, former member representing Jalingo, Yorro and Zing Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, lamenting that lack of adequate maintenance should be blamed for the bridge’s collapse.
Also making a plea to both the Taraba State and the Federal Governments, a community leader in the area, Bulus James, said there is an urgent need to reconstruct the bridge to restore movement of goods and services.
Meanwhile, experts are of the opinion that because the bridge has repeatedly been washed away during extreme downpours, a permanent solution requires addressing hydro-meteorological loads, scour, and the construction quality
They believe definitive fix for the structural collapse include reconstruction using deep-piled foundations, proper channelization of the Mayo-Gwayi river, routine structural integrity audits, and enforcing strict weight limits for vehicles transporting heavy farm produce.
