Motorists and commuters on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have continued to endure severe traffic congestion following the commencement of rehabilitation works on the Kara Bridge.
The two-week repair project, directed by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, involves the replacement of deteriorating expansion joints on the bridge to improve road safety, structural integrity and traffic flow along the busy corridor.
The rehabilitation commenced on September 8, 2026, with one half of the affected section being closed at a time while traffic is diverted to the other half.
The project was initially scheduled to begin in August but was suspended for a traffic review following concerns over the short notice and the need for adequate traffic management measures.
Despite warnings from the Lagos State Government, motorists and commuters were stranded for several hours on Tuesday, with reports of insufficient traffic control at some points.
By Wednesday, the second day of the repairs, the gridlock had stretched beyond the Otedola Bridge and 7Up Junction, extending deep into Lagos.
Checks by Vanguard showed that the traffic stretched from the Kara Bridge axis in Ogun State to the Toll Gate area of Lagos. As of 4pm, congestion had extended beyond Secretariat Bus Stop, while motorists from Ikeja and Ogba attempting to access the Otedola underpass also faced difficulties.
Some motorists complained that traffic management measures were inadequate to cope with the volume of vehicles and called for more alternative routes to ease pressure on the Kara axis.
A Lagos State civil servant, Mrs Modinat Lawal, said she had made little progress on the road since 4pm, lamenting the loss of time and money caused by the gridlock.
Another commuter, Mr Aina Abiola, said he was stranded around Ojodu Berger while heading to Mowe, adding that commercial transport fares had risen by as much as 150 per cent.
By 6pm on Wednesday, officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) were deployed around the Kara axis to control traffic.
LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said additional personnel had been deployed to ease the situation, stressing that the rehabilitation was necessary to prevent further deterioration of the bridge and possible accidents.
The agency’s Public Affairs Officer, Taofeek Adebayo, said traffic officials, including tow trucks, had been strategically positioned along the corridor to remove broken-down vehicles and other obstructions.
He said alternative routes had also been provided for motorists, including the Ikorodu-Ogijo-Simawa route, Ikorodu Road through Sagamu or Itokin Road to Ijebu-Ode, and the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway through Sango and Ifo.
Adebayo appealed to motorists to obey traffic diversions and follow the instructions of traffic officers, noting that the repair works would last for a maximum of two weeks.
Similarly, TRACE spokesperson, Babatunde Akinbiyi, urged motorists to exercise patience and cooperate with traffic officials, advising those without urgent business along the corridor to avoid the route during the rehabilitation period.