Traffic congestion has increased on the Lagos-Ibadan Motorway as the continuing repairs on the bridge have continued to hinder movement, leaving commuters and vehicles detained for hours around the Kara Bridge and its bordering routes.
Channels TV claims that the situation was worsened yesterday by a multiple vehicle incident involving a truck laden with containers, leaving some commuters stranded overnight on the road and others forced to hike considerable distances to their destinations.
Traffic was still heavy this morning along Kara Bridge, Berger, OPIC, significant Bridge and surrounding Lagos roads, Ojota, Ogba and Maryland with road users complaining of significant delays.
Some commuters who left work in Lagos yesterday evening stated they were still on the road hours after.
“Traffic was so bad that I had to trek from New Garage to Berger,” one of the commuters complained.
Another truck driver told SaharaReporters that he was still detained at Ikeja by 3 a.m today and is still on hold as he heads to Aba after riding through the nite.
One passenger remarked “I am going to Mowe and I have been trekking for over three hours.
The congestion also has disrupted public transit, with some commuters saying they had trouble getting buses to work this morning.
The crisis comes as the federal government continues repair work on the Kara Bridge replacing ageing expansion joints.
The project, which is expected to end on September 22 started on September 8 and is under the direction of the Minister of Works, David Umahi.
“The expansion joints have exceeded their service life and, therefore, need to be replaced to improve safety and maintain the structural integrity of the bridge,” the Federal Ministry of Works said.
Work is being carried out in phases with one side of the affected portion closed and traffic on the other side under traffic management arrangements.
The scheme was originally due to start in August, but was deferred amid fears over traffic management and the effect on road users.
But the lower road capacity makes the corridor extremely vulnerable to massive gridlocks in the event of an accident or car breakdown.
Yesterday, the vulnerability was again exposed when a 40-foot container truck overturned at Kara Bridge.
The LASEMA said preliminary findings showed that the truck experienced a technical malfunction while in motion, which caused the driver to lose control and slam into six other vehicles.
The crash involved a container truck, a Toyota Hilux, an interstate bus, a Hyundai Odyssey, a Sienna, a Toyota Highlander and another Mitsubishi Hilux.
Emergency personnel were sent to the area about 6:05 a.m. as LASEMA, LASTMA and police worked to manage traffic and rescue the affected automobiles.
The automobiles were then removed from the carriageway with the assistance of private towing operators.
However, the event led to heavy congestion when the portion was briefly blocked.
The Lagos-bound lane has been shut following an incident involving a caravan filled with containers yesterday afternoon, which has further aggravated the traffic issue caused by the bridge repairs and affected commuters driving in the other direction.
Officials started dismantling barricades surrounding the building site to open up an alternate route and facilitate flow. LASTMA and Ogun State traffic officers were drafted to take charge of the situation.
The resultant jam was not limited to Kara and Berger as traffic affected connecting routes into Lagos with congestion stretching beyond Long Bridge to Magboro and into Lagos.
The long traffic also led to a rise in transit rates on several routes as fares went up to as much as ₦4,000 from Berger to Oshodi, ₦3,500 from Berger to Mowe, ₦1,500 from Agege to OPIC and ₦2,000 from Magboro to Berger.
For many road users the effects have been more than delayed travels.
Commuters have complained about loss of working hours, extra fuel cost, rise in transport charges and physical tiredness.
Some have walked miles away from the traffic, while others have left their automobiles and looked for other ways of getting around.
The current development has also reignited fears about the vulnerability of the Kara-OPIC corridor, a major route for commuters, business vehicles and products moving between Lagos, Ogun State and other areas of the country.
The federal authorities had earlier said that the faulty expansion joints were a safety danger and could lead to more significant structural issues if not fixed, which is why the Kara repairs were necessary.
Traffic authorities have also been posted along the corridor to handle diversions and avoid further blockage.
About the Author
