TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE REJUVENATION STRATEGIES ALONG AYA-NYANYA EXPREEWAY ABUJA USING SIDRA INTERSECTION 8 SOFTWARE

INTRODUCTION

1.1:  Background of The Study

Roess, Prassas and McShane (2004), defined “transportation engineering as that branch of engineering that deals with the application of technology and scientific principles planning, designing, operation, and management of facilities for various mode of transportation in order to provide for the safe, rapid, comfortable, convenient, economical, and environmentally compatible movement of people and goods”.  Additionally, (the Institute of Transportation Engineer (1989); as cited in Roess, Prassas and McShane 2004), also defined “Traffic Engineering as a subdiscipline of Transportation Engineering that deals with the planning, geometric design and traffic operations of roads, streets, and highways, their networks, terminals, abutting lands, and relationships with other modes of transportation”. It can also be defined as the science of measuring traffic and travel as well as the study of basic laws relating to traffic flow and generation, and application of this knowledge to the practice of planning, designing and operation of traffic systems to achieve safe and efficient movement of persons and goods. According to Garber and Hoel (2009), Traffic Engineering integrates vehicle, driver, pedestrian characteristics to improve the safety and capacity of streets and highways. The principal goal of both Transportation Engineers and Traffic Engineers is to provide safe and comfortable mode of moving people, goods and services in different direction in an environmentally friendly environment. The basic services provided by Transportation and Traffic Engineers includes: Accessibility which is directly associated with Transportation Engineer and is the direct connections of land, provision of pavement to connect cities and rural areas. Mobility of course deals with the transportation of goods and services from place to place. This is made easy with the traffic operations of the Traffic Engineer.

Okoko (2006), defined transportation as a process that involves the movement of commuters, goods, and services from a given point of origin to a specified location. Britannica (2021), defined transportation as the means in which goods and persons are moved from place to place. Webster dictionary simply defined transportation as an act, process, or instance of transporting or being transported. Cambridge dictionary (2021) defined Infrastructure as the basic system and services, such as transportation and power supplies, that a country or organization uses in order to work effectively. Yoshino and Nakahigashi (2000), described Infrastructure as the capital stock that provides public goods and services and its presence is a determinant in accessing quality of life, productivity and growth in an economy. Adedotun, Ogundahunsi and Oyeniyi (2016), refers to transportation infrastructure as the framework that supports transport system of roads, railways, seaports and airports and it is a critical ingredient for the economic development of any society. According to Rodrigue, Comtois and Slack (2013), transportation infrastructure is an important factor in effective urban transportation and that transportation represents one of the most important human activities worldwide and it is an indispensable component of an economy and plays a major role in spatial relations between locations. It also creates variable links between regions and economic activities between people and the rest of the world. Rodrigue, Comtois and Slack described transportation as a multidimensional activity whose importance is historical, social, political, economical, and environmental. Agbonika (2011), likens Transportation of a nation to what veins are to the human body, a blockage in any part can be injurious and so also is the need for effective transport system.

Road system constitute a major part of a nation infrastructure and a well-developed road infrastructure network can lead to improved movement of goods and services. Economic activities are most likely to be on the increase with improved and better transportation infrastructure (Yoshino and Nakahigashi, 2000; Adeniran and Yusuf, 2016). Reports have it that road transportation is one of the leading modes of transportation in Africa and about 95% in Nigeria. This has by extension leads to traffic congestion causing travel time delay, accidents, pollution to the environment, discomfort, and additional cost to road users (Biliyamin and Abosede, 2015). The growing population and rapid development of new cities along the AYA – NYANYA route has led to traffic congestion and dilapidation of AYA – Nyanya expressway. Policies makers are faced with the challenges of developing a transportation plan and strategies for providing improved transportation and infrastructure systems to keep with the pace of development of cities along AYA – Nyanya expressway. In doing this, policies makers have to put into consideration future population growth along this route, the economic activities in and around the cities along this route, the pavement type and life span of the pavement, approximate numbers of vehicles along this route and the future traffic demand on this road.

1.2: Problem Statement

The United Nations Population Prospect (2019), puts the current world population at

7.7billion people. And this figure is expected to grow from 7.7billion to 8.5billion in 2030, 9.7billion in 2050 and 10.9billion in 2100. This report puts Nigeria yearly population growth rate at 2.6% and that Nigeria is expected to be the third world largest country by 2050 with a population of about 401million people. AYA-NYANYA road accounts for certain percentage of Abuja Traffic jam due to its proximity to Nasarawa State and also as a result of easy land administration in Nasarawa State. To a large extend it will be reasonable to say that the road contributes to the economic and social development of Abuja. With the current trend and movement of people along the AYA-NYANYA Route, population is expected to grow in this part of Abuja for about 2.6% in the next 10 years from Nigeria population growth according to the 2019 United Nations population prospect. Infrastructure in this part of Abuja has to improve to meet up with the rapid population growth in order to achieve any meaningful development and economic activities. In addition to Karu and Nyanya, AYA-NYANYA expressway link several other cities in Nasarawa State and it is also the link road to some northern and eastern states in Nigeria. The world is changing fast, cities are growing and urban population is rising. The need to transport people and goods are increasing so also is congestion and road accident. United Nations report (2018), estimate that 60% of the global world population will live in cities by 2050, and they will rely on good transportation system to get to their destination. A well planned and functional transportation system will go a long way in aiding people get to their destination in an efficient and timely manner. Road transportation has been recognized as the backbone of any economic development and it also support and provide access to various social services like schools, hospitals, employment areas, places of worship and market places. On the contrary, a poorly planned and nonfunctional transportation infrastructure and transportation system will result to various kinds of challenges, ranging from congestion, safety issues, to pollution and accidents.

1.3:  Aim of The Study

The aim of this study is to determine the root cause of congestion on AYA-NYANYA Express way, develop a solution for the improvement along the route in order to increase its traffic carrying capability, and to reduce traffic congestion.

1.4:   The Objectives of The Study

• Conducting a Reconnaissance survey on AYA-NYANYA road in a bid to locate the bad spots on the road, to locate a suitable counting position for traffic count and to locate spots for improvement and expansion.
• To conduct traffic survey to ascertain the volume of traffic along AYA-NYANYA road
• And to make recommendations on ways to improve the traffic congestion and improved economic activities along the route.

TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE REJUVENATION STRATEGIES ALONG AYA-NYANYA EXPREEWAY ABUJA USING SIDRA INTERSECTION 8 SOFTWARE