Kara Bridge repairs squeeze Lagos–Ibadan traffic as commuters face second day of gridlock
Repair work on the Kara Bridge caused a second day of severe disruption on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday morning, after motorists endured hours-long delays when the intervention began on Tuesday.
The Federal Government started replacing damaged expansion joints on the Kara Bridge section of the expressway on September 8.
The work is scheduled to continue until September 22.
Gridlock continued Wednesday morning
Traffic built sharply after the repairs began on Tuesday, with queues reported from the Kara Bridge area in Ogun State towards 7Up Junction and other approaches in Lagos.
By Wednesday morning, motorists were still reporting heavy congestion and prolonged delays along the corridor.
The disruption affected commuters travelling towards Mowe and other communities on the Lagos–Ogun axis, while motorists approaching the expressway from parts of Lagos also experienced delays.
Those observations describe conditions reported on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Queue length and journey times can change quickly and should not be treated as fixed throughout the day.
Repair requires partial restriction
The rehabilitation targets deteriorated expansion joints on the bridge.
Ahead of the work, Lagos transport authorities warned motorists to expect delays and said half of the affected bridge section would be closed at a time, with traffic using the available carriageway under controlled movement.
Traffic officials from Lagos and Ogun were deployed around the corridor to manage movement.
Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency spokesperson Babatunde Akinbiyi said officials had anticipated congestion and issued an advisory before work began.
He urged motorists without essential business along the axis to avoid the route where possible and asked road users who must pass through the area to cooperate with traffic officials.
Commuters carry the immediate cost
For commuters, the repair has created an immediate collision between infrastructure maintenance and daily movement.
Motorists interviewed during the disruption described prolonged delays and difficulty finding viable alternatives, particularly for journeys towards Mowe and adjoining communities.
Reports also indicated that some commercial transport fares increased during the congestion.
The accountability question is whether traffic management can reduce the disruption while the repairs continue through September 22.
The safest current position is narrow: Kara Bridge repairs remain active, severe congestion was documented on Tuesday and Wednesday morning, and motorists should expect possible delays while the partial restriction continues.
