Motorists and commuters on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway found themselves stuck in traffic for over 14 hours on Tuesday. This happened after a crash involving many vehicles at the Kara Bridge added to ongoing repairs on the bridge.
The accident occurred early in the morning and involved seven vehicles. It first disrupted movement towards Ogun State, but the resulting traffic jam soon extended beyond the Long Bridge towards Magboro and into Lagos.
As the situation worsened, some frustrated drivers started to go against traffic to escape the jam. This created another blockage for those heading towards Lagos.
Our reporters noted that drivers traveling from Lagos to Ogun State were already caught in traffic by 7 am, and the situation only got worse as the day went on.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) released a statement on Tuesday. They said their LRT Tiger Squad was sent to the scene at 6:05 am after receiving a distress call and arrived on time.
Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, explained that the crash involved a 40-foot container truck without a registration number, a Toyota Hilux, an interstate bus, a Hyundai Odyssey, a Sienna, a Toyota Highlander, and a Mitsubishi Hilux.
He added that early investigations showed the container truck had a mechanical fault, which made the driver lose control and crash into the other six vehicles.
Oke-Osanyintolu mentioned that LASEMA activated their incident management plan and worked with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and the Nigeria Police Force. They aimed to prevent more accidents and manage the traffic.
“Private towing trucks were brought in to help recover the vehicles. All the affected vehicles were eventually cleared from the road to the side. Luckily, no lives were lost or injuries reported from the incident,” the statement said.
The LASEMA boss confirmed that LASTMA officials stayed at the scene to monitor traffic and help restore movement. The recovered vehicles were handed over to the police for documentation and further action.
Before the crashed vehicles were removed, the traffic jam had already reached Lagos, as some drivers began going against traffic to avoid the congestion.
A motorist named Jude told PUNCH Metro that those who drove the wrong way ended up blocking three lanes, leaving just one lane for vehicles coming into Lagos.
He said, “Once the crash blocked the road, everything came to a stop. So, vehicles started going one-way. That’s how they blocked the cars coming into Lagos.
“Those taking one-way ended up using three lanes, while only one lane was left for vehicles going into Lagos.”
Another driver shared his frustration. He spent over five hours in the traffic and missed an important appointment.
He said, “I hit the traffic around 11 am, and I am still here. I had an appointment that I can no longer make.”
Even after the crashed vehicles were cleared, those who drove against traffic created a new blockage at the OPIC end of the road as they tried to get back to their correct lane.
A traffic officer, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the new traffic jam was due to all the cars that went against traffic.
The officer said, “The vehicles going one-way after the crash blocked the cars coming into Lagos while trying to get back to their lane at OPIC. That’s what caused the serious traffic you see now.”
PUNCH Metro observed that cars heading towards Lagos could not get past the OPIC section because of the mess created by drivers trying to return to the main road.
By 5 pm, the traffic jam had reached beyond the Long Bridge towards Magboro, leaving many motorists and commuters stranded for hours.
Checks by our reporters at 7 pm showed the jam had extended towards Iyana-Oworo in Lagos. Motorists faced slow movement on the Third Mainland Bridge.
Also, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, spoke with our reporter. He said the traffic worsened after another accident happened at the Kara area in the evening.
“The traffic worsened because of another accident in the same area. LASTMA officers were there until late at night,” he said.
The long traffic jam also led to a rise in transport fares. Commuters found themselves paying much more for trips along the affected routes.
For example, fares from Iyana-Oworo to Berger jumped to N2,000 from the usual N500 to N700. Similarly, fares from Iyana-Oworo to Mowe increased to N3,000 from N1,200.
This incident happened while repairs were ongoing on the Kara Bridge, which already caused major delays on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
PUNCH Metro had reported that motorists faced long delays after work began on damaged expansion joints on the Kara Bridge. Traffic stretched from the bridge towards the 7Up Junction and other parts of the Lagos-bound road.
These repair works have reduced the road space around the bridge, making it easy for heavy traffic whenever there are accidents or breakdowns.
Motorists have expressed worries that the mix of construction work and roadblocks could lead to more safety risks and longer journey times on this major route.
Babatunde Akinbiyi, the spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, confirmed that the crash made the traffic situation worse.
He said, “Our men, alongside other traffic officials, are managing the situation. Aside from impatience from drivers, which caused the gridlock…
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