Motorists travelling from Lagos into Ogun State via the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were stranded for hours on Thursday after a multiple-vehicle collision on the Kara section of the road.
TheNigerian Metro correspondent who monitored Thursday’s gridlock observed that the traffic jam stemmed from two accidents at various points along the expressway.
The first incident reportedly occurred around 10:50 am on the popular Kara Bridge, while the second took place at 2:00 pm on the Long Bridge, both along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The accident on the Kara Bridge led to a container falling and obstructing traffic, leaving motorists stranded for hours.
The gridlock started at the Alausa Secretariat and extended to Kara Bridge, bringing vehicles heading toward Ogun State to a complete halt.
When contacted on Thursday, the spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State Command, Florence Okpe, informed our correspondent that officers from the command were actively managing the situation.
She confirmed that no casualties were recorded in the accidents and added that first responders from Lagos State swiftly rescued those involved.
“The Lagos Command handled the rescue operation on Kara Bridge, so I can’t comment on that.
“However, the gridlock was caused by two accidents, including a fallen container at Kara Bridge. Our officers are on the ground working to clear it,” she stated.
She added that another “accident that occurred on the Long Bridge. No life was lost in the accident. Our men are on the ground managing the traffic as we speak.”
Speaking with our correspondents who monitored the traffic snarl on Thursday, a commercial bus driver, Murtala Olarewaju, lamented the hours spent in gridlock and blamed reckless drivers for the congestion.
“I arrived at the Berger Bus Stop around 1:30 p.m. after leaving the Secretariat at noon. I was stuck for nearly 30 minutes without movement, so I had to take an alternative route.
“As you can see, some impatient drivers have already started using the wrong side of the road. If this continues, both sides of the expressway will soon be completely blocked,” he warned.
A commuter, who gave her name as Tolu, expressed frustration over the expressway’s reputation for frequent accidents and severe gridlock.
She said, “I’m not sure what caused this traffic, but some people say a container fell on the road after an accident.
“This road is always like this: accidents and gridlock. We’ve been stuck here since 2:15 p.m.”
Several past reports by TheNigerian Metro have highlighted that ongoing road maintenance, frequent accidents, and rainfall are major contributors to traffic congestion on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Motorists have called on traffic control agencies to be more proactive in enforcing road regulations to prevent unnecessary delays on the expressway.
