Motorists travelling along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were stranded for several hours on Tuesday as repair works on the Kara Bridge triggered severe gridlock along one of Nigeria’s busiest highways.

The congestion began building up in the afternoon after work started on the damaged expansion joints of the Kara-Berger Bridge section, with traffic stretching from the bridge in Ogun State towards the 7Up area in Lagos.

By 3:30pm, the traffic had extended beyond the Secretariat Bus Stop, while motorists approaching the Otedola underpass from Ikeja and Agege were also caught in the congestion. The queue extended towards Otunba Jobi Fele Way.

The situation left several motorists spending hours on a journey that would ordinarily take considerably less time.

One motorist, Tunji Kazeem, described the situation as unbearable, saying there was little alternative for people travelling towards Mowe.

He said he left Oshodi at about 1pm but was still caught in a standstill around the 7Up area several hours later.

Another motorist, identified as Jelili, complained about the recurring congestion along the expressway and called for a lasting solution to the traffic problems affecting the corridor.

Security and traffic management personnel were deployed in large numbers to manage the situation. Police and military personnel worked alongside officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps.

The officials were seen controlling the flow of vehicles between Kara, Isheri and Ojodu, alternating traffic from different directions in an effort to prevent a complete standstill.

Repair work at the entry and exit points of the bridge towards OPIC also contributed to the worsening congestion around the Kara area.

The Federal Government had announced the two-week intervention ahead of its commencement, with the replacement of the damaged expansion joints scheduled from September 8 to September 22, 2026.

The Acting Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Richard Adeleye, said the intervention became necessary because the existing expansion joints had exceeded their service life and posed safety risks to motorists.

Expansion joints allow sections of a bridge to accommodate movement caused by temperature changes. Officials warned that leaving the damaged joints unrepaired could lead to more serious structural problems, including cracking and buckling.

The affected section covers about 100 metres, with the rehabilitation being carried out in phases. One half of the carriageway is being closed at a time while traffic is moved through the remaining section under controlled conditions.

Authorities had anticipated traffic disruption and issued advisories before the work began. Motorists were urged to plan their journeys, allow additional travel time and avoid the corridor where their trips were not essential.

Alternative routes have also been suggested for motorists travelling towards Ibadan, including the Ikorodu-Ogijo corridor, Shimawa Bridge and routes around Sango and Abeokuta, depending on their destinations.

The Lagos State Government has appealed to motorists to cooperate with traffic managers deployed to the corridor, saying one half of the affected section would remain available for controlled movement while work is carried out on the other half.

The current disruption has renewed concerns about the difficulty of carrying out major repairs on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway without significant consequences for commuters. The corridor serves thousands of motorists travelling between Lagos, Ogun and other parts of the South-West every day.

For motorists who regularly use the route, the latest repairs are another period of uncertainty after previous accidents and rehabilitation works around the Kara axis have repeatedly caused lengthy traffic delays. PUNCH previously reported several hours-long gridlocks around the bridge during earlier repair works and road crashes.

Officials, however, maintain that completing the repairs is necessary to improve road safety and preserve the structural integrity of the bridge.

The Federal Government expects the intervention to be completed by September 22, subject to construction and operational conditions, after which normal traffic movement is expected to resume along the affected section.