By Anna Albert and Margret Binyir
Students of the University of Jos who reside at the Dongon Karfe-Abattior and Jos South areas have lamented the high cost of transportation they incur since the start of the construction of the Brithish-America flyover with a spur to Lamingo junction last year.
For years, the British-American junction regularly experienced traffic congestion because so many activities going on around that axis. From the junction, one could follow this road to Terminus, or from Terminus, one could pass straight to other areas through Dogon Karfe to the Old Airport junction. From the same junction, one could use the Angwan Rukuba/Liberty Dam Road to Lamingo.
Commuters usually get stuck in traffic at the British-America junction because everyone is trying to get to his or her destination before the commencement of the new flyover bridge.
In an interview with chief route commissioner, Tamar D. Bewarang, of the B54.15 Jos Bye-Pass unit of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Jos says that “before the commencement of the new flyover, the major challenges were as a result of the road having one route, and it became worse on days when the FRSC was not there to coordinate the traffic, and sometimes vehicle breakdowns occurred and people experienced hold-ups mostly. She added that “when the British-American flyover is completed, it will have a lot of advantages and benefits; there will be less traffic, and the rate of accidents will reduce compared to before.”
Also in an interview with Makinde Isaiah, the civil engineer of the British-America flyover, he stated that” the old British-America junction was a narrow road and not wide enough for vehicles to pass through freely, but this new road is an interchange for different axis and though the road is still under construction, the Craneburg Construction Company has done 89 to 92 per cent of the work, which is at the final stage”. He also advised students following the British-American junction to leave home early in order to meet up with lectures since the road is still under construction and can be blocked at any time.
A 400-level student of Economics, Simon Clement, said, “He stays around the abattoir axis and followed the British-America junction road to Angwan Rukuba before the flyover project started, but when the construction began, he has to follow through Terminus Market to Bauchi ring-road and the challenges were that the cost of transportation was much higher compared to the Angwan-Rukuba road as Angwan-Rukuba road covers a short distance to the Naraguta Campus.
Furthermore, Esther Vankur, a 200-level student of English Language expressed that following through Terminus to the Naraguta Campus was challenging because of the high cost of transportation and the traffic along the ring road, and sometimes she had to trek through Terminus market before she gets ‘keke napep’ going to her destination, and “if you’re not lucky, you end up late to your classes”. She prefers following the Angwan-Rukuba road because it is safer and has a lower level of crime and crisis compared to the Bauchi ring-road. Therefore, she also prays that the British-American flyover will be completed and commissioned before the end of the Simon Lalong administration.
The British-America junction is a popular junction in Jos North local government area. The junction, which was said to get its name from the British American Insurance company that was at the junction, was the old Daily Trust newspaper office located by the junction on the left when coming from the Angwan Rukuba and Lamingo routes and on the right when coming from the abattoir and Dogon Karfe routes.
This house was and is the reason why the place is called “British-America Junction,” even though the insurance company has since faded into history.
Photo Credit: Anna Albert and Margret Binyir
