The ongoing repair of the Kara Bridge has caused severe traffic congestion along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, leaving motorists and commuters stranded for several hours.
The Federal Government commenced a two-week rehabilitation of the bridge’s damaged expansion joints on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, resulting in heavy traffic from the Kara Bridge area in Ogun State towards Lagos.
The gridlock extended to several adjoining routes, with motorists travelling from Ikeja and Agege towards the Otedola underpass also experiencing severe congestion.
Traffic was reported to have stretched beyond the Otunba Jobi Fele Way, while vehicles approaching the bridge from Isheri and Ojodu faced long delays.
Security and traffic management officials, including personnel of the police, military, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps and Ogun State traffic enforcement agency, were deployed to manage the situation.
However, their presence did little to ease the congestion, particularly around the bridge’s entry and exit points towards OPIC.
By Wednesday morning, traffic congestion had intensified, with motorists reportedly resorting to one-way driving in an effort to reach their destinations.
The situation has sparked frustration among commuters, with some motorists lamenting missed appointments and delays in getting to work.
A motorist, Tijani Akinyele, described the situation as “terrible”, saying motorists heading towards Mowe had been forced to use one-way traffic due to the congestion.
Another motorist, Thompson, appealed to the authorities to find a lasting solution, expressing concern about the impact of the repairs over the remaining period of the project.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, urged motorists to remain patient and cooperate with traffic officials.
Akinbiyi said authorities had anticipated the possibility of congestion and issued a traffic advisory before the repairs began.
He advised motorists without urgent business along the corridor to avoid the route during the repair period.
The repair project, directed by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, involves replacing deteriorating expansion joints on the bridge to improve road safety and structural integrity.
The rehabilitation is expected to run until September 22, 2026.
The Lagos State Government said one half of the affected section would be closed at a time, while motorists would use the remaining open section alternately.
The government urged motorists to plan their journeys ahead and cooperate with traffic management officials to ensure the project is completed within the scheduled two-week period.
