The Federal Government of Nigerian has announced a six-week partial closure of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway to allow for urgent repairs on damaged expansion joints at Kara Bridge, Magboro Bridge and Arepo–Punch Bridge.
The Federal Ministry of Works said the decision was taken to resume critical rehabilitation works on the Lagos-bound section of Kara Bridge, which had earlier been suspended following complaints by motorists over severe traffic congestion.
Speaking to journalists at Kara Bridge, the Ogun State Federal Controller of Works, Michael Komolafe, apologised to road users for the inconvenience and assured them that improved traffic management measures would be put in place to minimise disruptions and ensure safety.
Komolafe explained that the expansion joints on the three bridges had deteriorated significantly, posing serious safety risks and contributing to road accidents. He said the Minister of Works, David Umahi, ordered immediate repairs to prevent further incidents.
Providing an update on the project, the General Manager of CBC Construction Company, Andy Duan, said repair works on the Lagos-bound sections of Magboro and Arepo–Punch bridges had been completed, with work now shifting to the Ibadan-bound sections.
He added that at Kara Bridge, half of the Lagos-bound section had already been repaired, while work would now continue on the remaining portion. According to him, the expansion joints at Kara Bridge were in very poor condition and had been a major cause of accidents.
Duan said construction equipment would be mobilised over the weekend, with full work expected to begin on Monday. He noted that repairs would be carried out in phases, with half of each expansion joint targeted for completion within a week.
He assured motorists that safety measures, including barriers, warning signs and lighting, would be installed to protect both road users and construction workers throughout the repair period.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Kehinde Hamzat, appealed to motorists to be patient and comply with traffic rules during the construction. He warned that driving against traffic would not be tolerated and offenders would be sanctioned.
Hamzat stressed that the repairs were necessary to fix failing expansion joints, which had created dangerous ditches and contributed to several accidents, especially around Kara Bridge.
