KEY POINTS
- Kara Bridge repairs trigger severe Lagos-Ibadan gridlock.
- Traffic stretches from Kara towards Lagos and beyond.
- Repairs are scheduled to end on September 22.
Traffic congestion has intensified along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway following the commencement of rehabilitation work on the Kara Bridge, leaving motorists and commuters stranded for several hours.
The repair exercise began on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, after the Federal Government moved to replace damaged and deteriorating expansion joints on the bridge. The two-week project, directed by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, is expected to continue until September 22.
The work has, however, immediately created significant disruption on one of Nigeria’s busiest transport corridors, with traffic building up across sections of Lagos and Ogun states.
According to observations by Channels Television correspondents, the congestion on Tuesday extended from the Kara Bridge in Ogun State towards the 7Up Junction in Lagos and beyond.
Motorists approaching the Otedola underpass from Ikeja and Agege also became trapped in the congestion, with the traffic reportedly stretching beyond Otunba Jobi Fele Way.
By Tuesday afternoon, motorists faced severe delays around the bridge’s entry and exit points, particularly around the OPIC area. Vehicles approaching Kara from Isheri and Ojodu were at times alternated with those coming from the expressway in an attempt to keep traffic moving and prevent a complete standstill.
Despite the deployment of security and traffic management personnel, the congestion remained severe.
Police and military personnel were deployed alongside officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps to manage the situation.
Motorists resort to one-way driving
The situation became even more difficult on Wednesday morning, with traffic building up as early as 5:30 a.m.
Some motorists reportedly resorted to driving against the normal flow of traffic in an effort to move passengers towards their destinations.
The congestion has also affected commercial transport operators and commuters travelling between Lagos, Ogun communities and areas along the Lagos-Ibadan corridor.
Street urchins were also reported to have taken advantage of the traffic situation, moving through the congested corridor and approaching commercial drivers in search of quick earnings.
The prolonged delays have sparked complaints from motorists who say the disruption is affecting their ability to get to work, attend appointments and meet other commitments on time.
One motorist, Tijani Akinyele, described the situation as “terrible”, arguing that the government should have made better arrangements to manage the disruption before beginning the repairs.
He said motorists heading towards Mowe who lacked viable alternatives had been forced to use one-way traffic routes on Wednesday morning.
Another motorist, Thompson, appealed to the authorities to find a lasting solution to the congestion, expressing concern about what the situation could become if the current level of traffic persists throughout the two-week repair period.
