Analysis of Traffic Flow Characteristics and Vehicle Composition Using Automatic Traffic Count Data on the Lokoja-Benin Road Corridor

Abstract

This study analyzes traffic flow characteristics along the Lokoja–Benin Road Corridor, focusing on ESG Site 1 (Okene towards Lokoja), to determine daily traffic trends, vehicle composition, and peak periods for improved traffic management. Automatic Traffic Count (ATC) data collected over five days (12–16 November 2024) were analyzed using Minitab software. Descriptive statistics and Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) procedures were applied to compute traffic density and speed.

A total of 26,489 vehicles were recorded, comprising motorcycles (10.05%), small light vehicles (30.20%), large light vehicles (28.60%), medium goods vehicles (12.66%), and heavy goods vehicles (18.51%). The highest daily traffic occurred on Wednesday (5,756 vehicles), while the lowest was on Saturday (5,049 vehicles), with a mean daily volume of 5,297.8 vehicles (SD ≈ 276.54). Peak hours were between 7:00–9:00 AM and 4:00–6:00 PM, with average speeds of 53–58 km/h and densities of 22–27 veh/km.

Results reveal pronounced weekday peaks and a high share of commercial traffic, highlighting the corridor’s importance as a freight route. The study concludes that traffic demand is largely driven by commuter and goods movement and recommends upgrading key sections to dual carriageways to reduce congestion and enhance flow efficiency.