Due to two distinct incidents on significant bridges that connect Lagos with the southwestern hinterland, drivers on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway are experiencing significant delays.
Drivers are advised to use caution by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
Five automobiles were involved in the first incident, which happened on the Otedola Bridge in Berger, according to The Guardian.
According to LASTMA, emergency personnel were present to control traffic and secure the area. Traffic backed up to the Ojota Bridge as a result of the accident, creating severe congestion.
Eight automobiles were involved in a separate crash on Kara Bridge, approaching Opic.
While LASTMA officials guided traffic to reduce congestion, tow trucks were dispatched to retrieve the disabled automobiles. “Our officers are on the scene controlling the traffic situation, and tow trucks are on the ground to move the vehicles off the road.” “Please always drive carefully,” the agency posted on social media.
Numerous accidents have occurred at the Kara Bridge, which crosses the Ogun River at the Lagos-Ogun border, in recent years.
In October, a multi-vehicle collision on the Kara Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway claimed the lives of at least six individuals, including a police inspector. A petrol tanker was among the multiple lorries involved in the collision.
According to witnesses, one of the trucks went off the road, struck the bridge’s brick wall, and was then cut off, sending the vehicle’s head into the Ogun River.
LASTMA reported a total of eight casualties but did not offer any additional information. The agency released a video that showed the dead corpses and damaged trucks at the scene. A towing van that was dispatched to separate the automobiles was also damaged during the operation, according to LASTMA.
Some drivers were forced to drive against traffic due to the event, which resulted in a significant traffic bottleneck on the freeway. According to reports, commercial drivers took advantage of the traffic to raise prices, asking between ₦2,000 and ₦2,500 for the Berger-Oshodi route rather than the typical ₦1,000 to ₦1,200.
The continued safety issues on Nigeria’s biggest transportation routes are highlighted by the Kara Bridge catastrophe, which occurred less than twenty-four hours after another truck disaster on the Otedola Bridge.
Marshals from the Federal Road Safety Corps were available to control the scene and help with car retrieval.
About the Author
