…..…Government urges motorists to shun one-way driving, use alternative routes.
FIC REPORT (LAGOS STATE) – The Lagos State Government has stepped up efforts to ease the worsening traffic situation along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway as motorists continue to grapple with severe congestion around the Kara Bridge corridor.
The development followed days of mounting traffic pressure occasioned by the ongoing rehabilitation of the bridge, compounded on Tuesday by a fallen container-laden truck that further disrupted vehicular movement along the strategic Lagos–Ibadan corridor.
The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Mr Olawale Musa, said on Wednesday that the fallen truck had since been evacuated by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
He, however, said the removal of the truck had not immediately resolved the congestion, as some motorists had compounded the situation by driving against traffic in an attempt to beat the gridlock.
Musa said the state government had consequently deployed additional traffic officers to the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway axis to strengthen traffic management and improve the movement of vehicles.
He said the ministry was also working with other agencies and security formations, including the Lagos and Ogun State Police Commands, the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps and LASTMA, to restore smoother traffic flow along the corridor.
The Permanent Secretary acknowledged the inconvenience caused to motorists by the ongoing rehabilitation works at Kara Bridge but maintained that the intervention was necessary to protect critical transport infrastructure.
According to him, the rehabilitation is aimed at preserving the bridge and ensuring its long-term safety, functionality and resilience. He assured motorists that the rehabilitation work would be completed soon.
The intervention came as traffic authorities continued to battle the backlog generated by the reduced road capacity around the bridge, with motorists facing prolonged delays on one of the country’s busiest inter-state highways.
The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said the agency’s personnel had remained on the corridor round the clock in an effort to keep traffic moving.
Bakare-Oki appealed to motorists to exercise patience, particularly whenever an obstruction occurred, warning that driving against traffic could further worsen the situation and create additional hazards for other road users.
He said LASTMA would also intensify its public advocacy campaign to encourage motorists to voluntarily comply with traffic regulations.
As part of measures to reduce pressure on the Kara Bridge axis, the LASTMA boss advised motorists to explore alternative routes. He identified the Ikorodu Garage–Ogijo–Sagamu route, linking through Lotto to the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, as one of the options available to motorists.
Motorists travelling towards Lagos and adjoining destinations, he added, could consider the Lagos–Abeokuta Expressway, while those heading towards Ijebu-Ode could use the Ikorodu–Ijebu-Ode route.
The alternative routes, he said, would help redistribute traffic and reduce pressure on the Kara Bridge corridor while the rehabilitation continues.
The state government also urged motorists to plan their journeys ahead, familiarise themselves with the alternative routes and obey the instructions of accredited traffic management personnel deployed along the affected corridor.
Motorists can report traffic-related incidents to the authorities through the state’s emergency traffic line, 3367.
The Kara Bridge rehabilitation began on September 8 following the identification of damaged expansion joints on the bridge. The intervention is expected to run for about two weeks, with completion scheduled for September 22.
However, the reduced carriageway capacity created by the repair works has made the corridor increasingly vulnerable to traffic disruptions, particularly when crashes, vehicle breakdowns or other obstructions occur.
Tuesday’s crash involving a 40-foot container-laden truck aggravated the situation, adding another layer of disruption to motorists already contending with the ongoing construction work.
The latest response by the Lagos authorities therefore combines increased traffic personnel with enforcement against motorists who drive against traffic and the promotion of alternative routes, as efforts continue to prevent the Kara Bridge rehabilitation from bringing the wider Lagos–Ibadan Expressway corridor to a prolonged standstill.
Sourced and Reported by:
IYEDEH Onowouzou David
ACIO&PRO
16/09/2026
