Drivers in Lagos frustrated by bad road conditions

Motorists using the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway are unhappy about a collapsed part of an access ramp. This ramp links the highway to the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway bridge.

Drivers told PUNCH Metro during a visit to the area on Saturday that the damage forces them to slow down. This often leads to heavy traffic jams.

Reports say the damaged part of the ramp has not been fixed for a long time. The problem has gotten worse after recent rain, which has flooded the collapsed area.

A driver named Suleiman shared that it is hard to see how bad the damage is. He said, "The problem is that when it rains, the hole becomes covered with water, and drivers cannot see how deep it is. You have to slow down completely the moment you get to the spot. During rush hours, traffic builds up because everybody wants to avoid the bad portion.

“This place had been like this before it started raining, and nothing was done about it. So, the rainfall has only worsened it," Suleiman added.

While our correspondent was there, it was clear that vehicles were moving slowly. Drivers were carefully going around the damaged part to avoid harming their cars.

Another driver, Gilbert Adebayo, called the situation dangerous. He pointed out that the broken area of the road is a security threat. He said, "The road is becoming a trap for motorists. At night, it is even worse because visibility is poor and one can easily get robbed. That could even be happening already; maybe I have not been a victim, and I don’t pray to become one."

Joseph Okonkwo, who drives for a ride-hailing service, worried that the damage might get worse if the authorities do not act fast. He said, "We spend more time in traffic because vehicles are forced into a single path at that point. If nothing is done quickly, the damaged portion may expand and create a bigger problem. The continuous flow of water around the affected section could worsen the erosion."

The drivers are calling on the Ministry of Works and other agencies to repair the road quickly before it gets worse.

As of Monday, the spokesperson for the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Adesina Odunuga, could not be reached for comments. Calls to his phone went unanswered, and a text message sent to him had not been replied to when this report was finished.