Lagos Ibadan Expressway Traffic Leaves Thousands Stranded for Hours

(Heavy gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Photo by Channels TV)

Traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has gotten much worse, with drivers and commuters stuck for hours around Kara Bridge and nearby roads while bridge repairs continue to disrupt travel.

A multiple-vehicle crash involving a container truck on Tuesday made things even more difficult.

Many commuters were trapped on the road overnight and forced to walk long distances to get home.

By Wednesday morning, traffic remained heavy around Kara Bridge, Berger, OPIC, Long Bridge and the routes leading into Lagos, as well as Ojota, Ogba and Maryland. Drivers reported long delays.

Some people who left work in Lagos on Tuesday evening were still on the road hours later.

One commuter walked from New Garage to Berger because the traffic became too much.

Another truck driver said he was still stuck at Ikeja at 3 a.m.

Wednesday after travelling through the night heading to Aba.

The long traffic jams also affected public transport, with some commuters having trouble getting buses to work on Wednesday morning.

Some people resorted to walking for over three hours.

The congestion comes as the Federal Government continues to repair Kara Bridge, replacing deteriorating expansion joints.

The two-week project started on September 8 and should end September 22.

The expansion joints had worn out and needed replacing to improve safety and protect the bridge.

Work is happening in phases with one half of the affected section closed while traffic uses the other side.

The project was initially set for August but was delayed due to concerns about traffic management.

However, the reduced road space has made the corridor vulnerable to major gridlocks whenever there is an accident or vehicle breakdown, which is exactly what happened on Tuesday.

A 40-foot container truck developed a mechanical problem while moving on Tuesday, causing the driver to lose control and hit six other vehicles.

Preliminary findings showed the truck rammed into a Toyota Hilux, an interstate bus, a Hyundai Odyssey, a Sienna, a Toyota Highlander and another Mitsubishi Hilux.

Emergency responders reached the scene at about 6:05 a.m. Traffic officials worked to manage the situation and recover vehicles.

The vehicles were removed with help from private towing operators.

The incident caused severe congestion as the affected section was temporarily blocked.

A second container truck incident that afternoon made things worse by forcing a closure of the Lagos-bound section and affecting drivers going the opposite direction.

Authorities removed barriers around the construction area to create an alternative route and ease movement.

Traffic officials from Lagos and Ogun State were sent to manage the situation.

The resulting gridlock spread beyond Kara and Berger and affected connecting roads into Lagos, extending beyond Long Bridge towards Magboro.

The long traffic also caused transport fares to increase.

Fares went up to 4,000 naira from Berger to Oshodi, 3,500 naira from Berger to Mowe, 1,500 naira from Agege to OPIC and 2,000 naira from Magboro to Berger.

For many road users, the effects went beyond just delayed journeys.

Commuters complained of lost work time, extra fuel costs, increased transport fares and physical tiredness.

Some walked long distances to escape traffic while others abandoned their vehicles and found other ways to travel.

The situation has brought back concerns about the Kara-OPIC corridor, which carries many commuters, commercial vehicles and goods between Lagos, Ogun State and other parts of the country.

The Federal Government said the Kara repairs were necessary because the damaged expansion joints posed safety risks and could lead to worse structural problems if ignored.

Traffic authorities have been deployed along the corridor to manage diversions and prevent further problems.