The ongoing rehabilitation of the Kara Bridge has caused severe traffic congestion along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, leaving motorists and commuters stranded for hours.
The two-week repair project, directed by the Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, involves replacing deteriorating expansion joints on the bridge to enhance road safety, strengthen the structure, and improve long-term traffic movement along the busy corridor.
The repair work began on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, after the Federal Government announced plans to fix the damaged expansion joints. However, the commencement of the project has resulted in significant traffic congestion, according to observations by our correspondents.
The rehabilitation was initially scheduled to begin in August 2026 but was suspended to allow for a review of the traffic management plan following public concerns over the short notice and the potential impact on motorists.
Since work commenced, traffic has worsened along the corridor, stretching from the Kara Bridge in Ogun State to the 7Up Junction in Lagos State and beyond.
As of 4:00 PM on Tuesday, motorists travelling along the route experienced heavy congestion extending beyond the Secretariat Bus Stop. Drivers coming from Ikeja and Agege and heading towards the Otedola Underpass were also caught in the gridlock, with traffic stretching beyond Otunba Jobi Fele Way.
By Tuesday afternoon, joint security personnel were seen alternating the flow of vehicles heading towards Kara from Isheri and Ojodu with those coming from the expressway in an effort to prevent a complete traffic shutdown.
Despite the deployment of police and military personnel, as well as officials from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps, and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps, the situation remained difficult.
The repair work further compounded congestion around the bridge’s entry and exit points leading towards OPIC and the Kara Bridge.
By Wednesday morning, motorists were already navigating the corridor in one-way traffic as early as 5:30 AM in an effort to reach their destinations and drop off passengers.
Street urchins also took advantage of the chaotic situation, moving along the corridor and chasing commercial vehicles in an attempt to make quick money.
The worsening traffic situation has sparked complaints among commuters, many of whom have been stranded for hours and are struggling to make it to work, appointments, and other engagements on time.
Speaking with our correspondent, a motorist, Tijani Akinyele, described the situation as “terrible”.
According to him, motorists heading towards Mowe who had no viable alternative route on Tuesday have been forced to ply a one-way as of Wednesday morning.
“We didn’t expect this whole repair would turn out like this. The situation is terrible, but there’s nothing I can do.
“I will blame the government because they ought to have found a solution to this before now”, he said.
Another motorist, Thompson, appealed to the authorities to take urgent steps to address the worsening traffic situation.
“We can’t continue like this. If the situation is like this today, what will it look like for the next two weeks?”, he lamented.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, appealed to motorists to remain patient and cooperate with traffic officials throughout the repair period.
Akinbiyi said the agency had anticipated the possibility of heavy traffic and had issued a traffic advisory ahead of the commencement of the rehabilitation.
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.”
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the development followed the Federal Ministry of Works’ earlier announcement on the rehabilitation exercise.
The two-week project, directed by Works Minister Senator David Umahi, focuses on replacing deteriorating expansion joints
