For most workers, an eight-hour workday is already demanding. But for commuters along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, hours are now being spent not at their desks but trapped in traffic.
The busy corridor has endured repeated bouts of severe congestion in 2026, with repair works, overturned trucks, fallen containers, and road crashes repeatedly disrupting movement between Lagos and Ogun State.
The latest disruption came on Tuesday, when a container-laden trailer fell on Kara Bridge, forcing the total closure of the Lagos-bound section and worsening congestion already caused by ongoing rehabilitation works. The resulting gridlock stretched beyond Berger, while motorists heading in the opposite direction were forced to share the available section of the expressway.
For commuters caught in the resulting standstill, the difference between a routine journey and an ordeal can be several hours.
And The Menace
For entrepreneur Nisak Akpan, what should have been a 15-minute journey home turned into a seven-hour ordeal.
“I spent seven hours at Ojodu Berger area, just trying to connect the express. I had to find a hotel to sleep. That was 15 minutes away from home on a normal day.”
Akpan’s experience captures the scale of disruption that can occur when traffic on the corridor loses its normal rhythm, with some arriving home late from work and their businesses into the night, missing appointments, and, in some cases, abandoning their journeys altogether.
Nine-to-five worker Samuel Markson said he eventually decided to return home rather than remain trapped in traffic.
“I’m officially going back home; I cannot come and kill myself. Traffic has turned my bus stop into a permanent landmark. Standstill everywhere, and not a single yellow bus in sight.” Markson said
The prolonged gridlock has also become a question of health and well-being for commuters who spend hours sitting in stationary vehicles or waiting at increasingly crowded bus stops.
“At this point, work can continue without me,” said an exhausted Markson. “Even commuters at the bus stop are going back home, and why should I not join them? My health is more important.”
Beyond the frustration and anger of long hours on the road, the gridlock has also been worsened by the impatience of drivers and the actions of some motorists who drive against traffic, further disrupting movement for other road users.
The gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has also spilled into surrounding roads, with a backlog of traffic extending to the 7Up, Ogudu and Iyana-Oworo axis as motorists search for alternative ways through the wider network.
Commuters are stranded at bus stops, while for some, trekking has become the only option to reach their destinations, almost like a new sport.
“I trekked to work this morning. Never done it in my life. And the traffic is at a standstill,” Favor said.
Repairs Meet A Fragile Corridor
The project, directed by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, involves the replacement of deteriorating expansion joints and commenced on September 8, 2026. It is scheduled to run until September 22.
The repairs were announced in advance, with authorities explaining that one half of the affected section would be closed at a time while traffic was managed on the remaining half. The work is intended to improve the structural condition and long-term safety of the bridge.
But the beginning of the exercise immediately demonstrated the difficulty of repairing a critical transport artery that carries large volumes of traffic, with at least 200,000 commuters every day.
On September 9, motorists were stranded for several hours, with congestion stretching from Kara Bridge towards 7Up Junction and beyond. Traffic from Ikeja and Agege attempting to access the Otedola underpass was also caught in the congestion.
The repair work itself, therefore, became only one part of the problem. With available road space reduced, any additional disruption has the potential to magnify delays across a much wider area.
And that is precisely what happened when the container-laden trailer fell on Wednesday, September 15.
When Trucks Bring Traffic To A Halt
The fallen container on Kara Bridge transformed an already difficult traffic situation into a more severe standstill.
The incident forced the complete closure of the Lagos-bound section of the bridge, while motorists travelling in the opposite direction had to share one side of the expressway. Authorities subsequently began removing barriers from another section of the bridge to create an alternative passage. Officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and traffic officials from Ogun State were deployed to manage the situation.
The incident was not an isolated example of how articulated vehicles and accidents can paralyse the corridor.
In July 2026, a multiple-vehicle crash on Kara Bridge left one person dead and others injured, while hundreds of motorists were stranded. The crash involved five articulated trucks and a Toyota Sienna on the outbound carriageway towards Ibadan, with traffic backing up to Otedola Bridge and affecting the Isheri-Olowora axis and Ogunusi Road.
In March, a heavy-duty truck carrying two 20-foot containers overturned on Otedola Bridge after reportedly developing a mechanical fault. The resulting congestion extended beyond Kara Bridge and caused significant delays for commuters and motorists.
Route Where Minutes Multiply
The recurring pattern illustrates the particular vulnerability of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. It is not simply a road connecting two major cities; it is a major route through which commuters, commercial vehicles, articulated trucks and travellers move between Lagos and other parts of the country.
When an accident occurs, the consequences can quickly extend beyond the immediate crash scene.
A January crash on Otedola Bridge, for example, obstructed nearly 80 per cent of the carriageway, according to LASTMA, prompting extensive traffic control and diversions. Motorists travelling from the Mowe, Kara Bridge and Redemption Camp axis were redirected through alternative routes towards Ojota and Gbagada.
Another crash on Kara Bridge in January involved a truck, a Toyota Corolla, an RAV4 SUV and two interstate buses. The incident caused severe congestion and left motorists stranded for hours before recovery operations helped restore movement.
The problem is consequently cumulative. Repair works reduce available road space. A fallen truck or container can block more of what remains. An accident can then trigger a backlog that spreads into adjoining roads, while motorists seeking alternatives add pressure to already busy routes.
For those caught inside the resulting chain, a journey that ordinarily takes minutes can consume an entire morning or working day.
The authorities have repeatedly urged motorists to exercise patience and cooperate with traffic managers. During the current Kara Bridge rehabilitation, the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency said traffic had been anticipated and called on motorists to bear with the situation.
“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,” it said.
“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.”
For commuters, however, patience is being tested against the practical demands of work, business, family and travel.
The rehabilitation of Kara Bridge is scheduled to end on September 22. Until then, traffic managers face the difficult task of keeping vehicles moving through a corridor where every additional obstruction can have consequences far beyond the point where it occurs.
For the millions who depend on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the hope is that the repair work will ultimately deliver the safer and more reliable corridor it is intended to create.
But for those sitting in stationary vehicles today, the question is much more immediate: how many more hours will it take to reach the destination?
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