LAGOS-IBADAN EXPRESSWAY GRIDLOCK PERSISTS AFTER SEVEN-VEHICLE CRASH

Motorists and commuters using the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were left stranded for several hours on Tuesday following a multiple-vehicle crash near the Kara Bridge, where ongoing repair works further compounded the traffic situation.

The accident, which occurred in the early hours of the day, involved seven vehicles and initially disrupted traffic heading towards Ogun State. The resulting congestion later spread beyond the Long Bridge towards Magboro and extended into parts of Lagos.

The situation became more difficult after some motorists resorted to driving against traffic in an attempt to bypass the gridlock. Their actions subsequently created additional congestion for motorists travelling towards Lagos.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency said its LRT Tiger Squad stationed at C3 was mobilised to the scene at about 6:05am following a distress call and arrived within the expected response time.

LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, identified the vehicles involved as 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.

Oke-Osanyintolu explained that preliminary findings indicated that the container truck developed a mechanical fault while in motion, causing the driver to lose control and collide with the other six vehicles.

He said LASEMA activated its incident management protocol and worked with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and the Nigeria Police Force to secure the scene, prevent secondary accidents and restore traffic flow.

“Private towing trucks were deployed to support the recovery operation, while all the affected vehicles were eventually removed from the carriageway to the roadside. Fortunately, no loss of life or injury was recorded in the incident,” he said.

The LASEMA permanent secretary added that LASTMA officials remained at the scene to regulate traffic, while the recovered vehicles were handed over to the police for documentation and further action.

Despite the clearance of the accident scene, the traffic situation remained difficult after motorists who had used the wrong lane attempted to rejoin the main carriageway around the OPIC area.

A motorist identified as Jude said the situation became worse when drivers taking the one-way route occupied several lanes.

“The moment the place got blocked, it was a total standstill when the crash occurred. So, vehicles started to take one-way. That was how they blocked the vehicles coming inward Lagos.

“As a matter of fact, those taking one-way occupied three lanes and left the remaining one lane to vehicles coming into Lagos,” he said.

Another motorist said he spent more than five hours in the traffic and missed a scheduled appointment.

“I ran into the traffic around 11am, and I am still here. I was scheduled for an appointment but could no longer meet up,” he said.

A traffic official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, attributed the fresh obstruction at OPIC to motorists attempting to reconnect with the proper lane after driving against traffic.

“The influx of vehicles taking one-way when the crash happened had blocked vehicles coming into Lagos in the process of connecting back to their lane at OPIC. That is what has caused the serious traffic you see now,” the official said.

By 5pm, the congestion had stretched beyond the Long Bridge towards Magboro, leaving motorists and commuters trapped for hours.

Further checks around 7pm showed that the traffic had extended towards Iyana-Oworo in Lagos, with slow movement also reported on the Third Mainland Bridge.

The situation was reportedly worsened by another accident around the Kara axis later in the evening.

The LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, confirmed the development, saying, “The traffic was because another accident happened this evening in the same area. LASTMA officers were there till this night.”

The prolonged traffic also led to a sharp increase in transport fares along the affected routes, with commuters reportedly paying substantially more than the usual rates.

For instance, passengers travelling from Iyana-Oworo to Berger were charged as much as N2,000, compared with the regular fare of between N500 and N700.

Similarly, the fare from Iyana-Oworo to Mowe reportedly increased to N3,000 from the usual N1,200.

The latest disruption occurred amid ongoing rehabilitation work on the Kara Bridge, where repairs to damaged expansion joints have already reduced available road space and contributed to recurring traffic congestion.

The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency spokesperson, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed that the crash further aggravated the situation, noting that traffic officials were working to manage the affected corridor.

“Our men, with other traffic officials, are managing the situation. Aside from the impatience on the part of drivers, which had resulted in the gridlock…” he said.