The two-week repair work on the Kara bridge is beginning to take its toll on free movement of vehicles on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway axis, as motorists remain stranded for several hours on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.
The Federal Government announced the commencement of work on the damaged expansion joints of the bridge, beginning on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, a move that has triggered a massive gridlock, according to our correspondents who monitored the situation.
The project, earlier slated to commence in August 2026, was suspended for traffic review following public outcry over short notice and the need for effective traffic management.
However, commencement of the exercise has triggered massive traffic along the corridor since Tuesday, stretching from the Kara Bridge in Ogun State to the 7Up Junction in Lagos State, and beyond.
While motorists plying the road, as of 4:00 PM on Tuesday, witnessed an extension even beyond the Secretariat Bus Stop, those coming from Ikeja and Agege to access the Otedola underpass were also locked in the tight vehicular procession, which stretched beyond the Otunba Jobi Fele Way.
As of Tuesday afternoon, joint security officials were seen alternating between vehicles heading towards Kara from Isheri and Ojodu, with those coming from the expressway, in an attempt to prevent a total lockdown.
The heavy presence of the police and military, alongside officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps, and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, could not placate the situation, as the repair work further worsened traffic at the bridge’s entry and exit points inward OPIC, around the Kara Bridge.
As of Wednesday morning, as early as 5:30 in the morning, motorists were seen plying one-way to get passengers to their destinations.
Street urchins also took advantage of the situation as they scurried along the corridor in a chase after commercial drivers to earn quick money.
Commuters have started lamenting the terrible situation of the exercise as many get stranded and are unable to meet up with appointments and early arrivals at their places of work.
Speaking with our correspondent, a motorist, Tijani Akinyele, described the situation as “terrible”.
According to him, motorists heading towards Mowe who had no viable alternative route on Tuesday have been forced to ply a one-way as of Wednesday morning.
“We didn’t expect this whole repair would turn out like this. The situation is terrible, but there’s nothing I can do.
“I will blame the government because they ought to have found a solution to this before now”, he said.
Thompson, another motorist, appealed to the authorities to find a lasting solution to the traffic situation.
“We can’t continue like this. If the situation is like this today, what will it look like for the next two weeks?”, he lamented.
The spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, urged motorists to exercise patience and cooperate with traffic officials during the repair period.
Akinbiyi said the agency had anticipated the possibility of gridlock and had consequently issued a traffic advisory ahead of the commencement of the repairs.
He said, “We anticipated that there would be traffic, and that was why we issued a traffic advisory earlier.
“We can only appeal to motorists to bear with us for the time being because the repair works are necessary to ensure smooth movement and the safety of road users along the corridor.
“Anyone who does not have an important business along the axis should stay away, and those who cannot avoid using that route should cooperate with traffic officials.”
A statement by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, on Sunday, noted that the development is in line with the Federal Ministry of Works’ earlier announcement.
The two-week rehabilitation project, directed by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, involves the replacement of deteriorating expansion joints to improve road safety, structural integrity, and long-term traffic flow on the busy corridor.
The project is expected to run through September 22, 2026.
Lagos State Government advised motorists traversing the corridor to plan their journeys ahead.
To minimise its impact on traffic, LASG explained that one half of the affected section will be closed at a time, while motorists share the other open half interchangeably.
The government appealed to all motorists to exercise patience and cooperate with traffic managers to ensure the rehabilitation is completed in two weeks as scheduled.
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