The Lagos State Government has appealed to motorists to be patient following a prolonged traffic gridlock that left hundreds of motorists and commuters travelling through the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway stranded for more than 12 hours on Tuesday.
The government attributed the gridlock to a fallen truck and ongoing construction work at the Kara Bridge.
The permanent secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Mr Olawale Musa, who stated this while responding to the development, said the fallen truck had been evacuated by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA).
Musa, however, noted that the situation was worsened by some motorists driving against traffic.
He said more traffic officers had been deployed to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway axis to manage traffic and improve movement.
The permanent secretary added that the ministry would continue to work with relevant stakeholders, including the Lagos and Ogun State Police Commands, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) and LASTMA, to ease the situation.
Musa said the ongoing rehabilitation work at Kara Bridge might temporarily cause inconvenience but remained essential to preserving critical transport infrastructure and guaranteeing the long-term safety, functionality and resilience of the corridor.
According to him, the rehabilitation work would be completed soon.
Also speaking, the general manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, said officials of the agency had continued to work round the clock to ensure smoother traffic flow.
He urged motorists to remain patient and desist from driving against traffic whenever there was an obstruction on the road.
Bakare-Oki said the agency would continue its public advocacy efforts to encourage voluntary compliance with traffic rules.
The LASTMA boss also advised motorists to use alternative routes, including the Ikorodu Garage-Ogijo-Sagamu route, connecting through Lotto to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
He said those travelling towards Lagos and adjoining destinations could also consider the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
Bakare-Oki added that motorists heading towards Ijebu-Ode could use the Ikorodu-Ijebu-Ode route to reduce pressure on the Kara Bridge corridor and improve traffic distribution.
The government therefore urged motorists to familiarise themselves with the alternative routes, plan their journeys ahead and obey directives from accredited traffic management personnel.
The gridlock affected major sections of the expressway, including Kara Bridge, Long Bridge, Magboro and Berger, leaving motorists and commuters trapped for several hours.
The congestion was further worsened by ongoing repair works at Kara Bridge and multiple road crashes that disrupted traffic flow along the busy expressway.
