Kara Bridge Repairs: Motorists Lament Worsening Gridlock As Traffic Officials Absent

Motorists and commuters plying the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have expressed frustration over worsening traffic congestion around the Kara Bridge, with many road users spending several hours on the highway amid ongoing repair works.

The repairs on the Kara Bridge have continued to cause significant delays along the busy expressway, forcing some commuters to abandon their vehicles and trek long distances to reach their destinations.

The situation was particularly severe on Saturday, as traffic stretched from the Lagos State Secretariat towards the Kara Bridge and extended to Ogunnusi Road and Omole Bus Stop.

The development left motorists stranded for hours, with vehicles reportedly unable to move in either direction as the gridlock brought traffic to a standstill.

Checks along the affected corridor showed that personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), who had previously been deployed to manage traffic in the area, were not visibly present at the time of the report.

One of the motorists, Kenneth Kayode, said he had been trapped around Otedola Bridge since 6am while attempting to travel to Osun State to drop off his daughters, who had resumed at their universities.

Kayode said he had expected traffic management personnel to be on the ground based on the improvement he witnessed the previous day when officials were deployed and two lanes were opened to traffic.

He appealed to the relevant authorities to ensure that traffic control personnel remained at the affected locations throughout the duration of the repair works, including weekends.

Other motorists similarly complained about the prolonged delays, describing the situation as stressful and calling for improved traffic management around the construction zone.

While acknowledging the importance of repairing the bridge to prevent further deterioration and possible accidents, some motorists also expressed concern about the pace of the repair works.

They urged the authorities to intensify efforts to minimise the impact of the construction on road users and ensure that traffic officials were stationed along the corridor continuously.

Efforts to obtain a response from the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, regarding the absence of traffic personnel were unsuccessful as calls to his phone were unanswered and a text message sent to him had not received a response as of the time of filing the report.

Meanwhile, the Acting Controller of Works in Ogun State, Richard Adeleye, assured motorists that efforts had been intensified to accelerate the bridge repairs and reduce the hardship being experienced by commuters.

Adeleye said the first section of the bridge had already been completed despite the difficult working conditions, noting that the inconvenience being experienced by motorists was an unavoidable consequence of the rehabilitation work.

He explained that damaged expansion joints on the bridge had contributed to frequent accidents in the area, stressing the importance of carrying out the repairs.

According to him, the contractor is working to complete the second section and switch traffic as quickly as possible to enable work to continue on the other side of the bridge.

The authorities are expected to sustain traffic management measures around the Kara corridor as the rehabilitation progresses, particularly during peak travel periods, to reduce congestion and improve movement along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.