Motorists using the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway faced long delays on Tuesday. Repairs on the damaged expansion joints of the Kara Bridge led to a severe traffic jam on this busy route.
PUNCH Metro reporters on the ground saw traffic start to build up in the afternoon. The congestion stretched from the Kara Bridge in Ogun State to the 7Up Junction in Lagos State.
By 3:30 PM, the gridlock had extended past the Secretariat Bus Stop. Motorists coming from Ikeja and Agege who wanted to use the Otedola underpass were also stuck in the traffic, which reached Otunba Jobi Fele Way.
Reports indicated that a large number of security and traffic management officials were present. This included police, military personnel, and officials from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps, and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps.
The officials were seen directing vehicles heading towards Kara from Isheri and Ojodu, trying to manage the traffic from the expressway.
The situation worsened at the entry and exit points of the bridge leading to OPIC, adding to the congestion around Kara Bridge.
One motorist, Tunji Kazeem, shared his frustration. He described the situation as unbearable and mentioned that those heading to Mowe had no good alternative route.
He said, “The situation is unbearable, but there’s nothing I can do. There’s no alternative route for those of us going to Mowe. We just have to face it.
“The problem is that our government doesn’t know how to plan repair works like this in a way that we won’t have to bear the brunt of the gridlock.
“This is 3 PM. I left Oshodi around 1 PM, and we have been at a standstill since I got to 7Up.”
Another driver, who introduced himself as Jelili, expressed his concerns about the ongoing traffic issues on the expressway. He called for a long-term solution to the problem.
He said, “If road repairs or ram sellers do not cause gridlock, it will be accidents that will cause the gridlock. It is tiring. The government needs to find a permanent solution to the gridlock.”
Kunle Bankole, another motorist, also urged the authorities to address the ongoing traffic struggles on the expressway.
He said, “It is because the majority of our leaders don’t ply this road. It’s only the common man. Please, help us beg them to find a lasting solution to gridlock on this road.
“It’s not a difficult thing to do if the government truly wants to help us; they just prefer to subject us to unnecessary hardship.”
Babatunde Akinbiyi, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, asked motorists to be patient and work with traffic officials during the repairs.
Akinbiyi mentioned that the agency was aware of the potential for traffic and had issued a traffic advisory before the repairs started.
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.”
PUNCH Metro reported on Monday that the Federal Government had announced that the two-week replacement of expansion joints on the Kara-Berger Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would start on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.
Akinbiyi stated that the repairs, done with the Federal Ministry of Works and other partners, would last until September 22, 2026. He added that this work followed a directive from the Minister of Works and aimed to fix the worn-out expansion joints, improve road safety, and ensure smoother travel along the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
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