Accident involving lorry causes traffic congestion on Lagos-Ibadan highway

A devastating truck accident occurred near the Kara Bridge on Wednesday, sparking a massive traffic jam that paralyzed the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and left hundreds of motorists heading to Ogun State stuck for several hours.

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According to PUNCH Metro, the congestion persisted until around 12pm, with travellers from Lagos to Ogun State bearing the brunt of the delays as they struggled to reach their destinations.

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Inbound traffic to Lagos, however, remained relatively smooth, whereas commuters bound for Magboro, Ibafo, and Mowe endured lengthy delays, with queues stretching as far as the Lagos State Secretariat.

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Lagos State Traffic Management Authority officials worked tirelessly to clear the obstruction and restore normal traffic flow, with the agency announcing on its official X handle that vehicular movement was temporarily halted to enable recovery teams to safely clear the accident scene.

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LASTMA stated that the traffic backlog had extended to New Garage and beyond, causing significant delays for motorists travelling towards Ogun State.

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The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, in a statement by its Head of Public Affairs, Afolabi Olawale, revealed that the accident occurred at approximately 3 a.m. when a 40-foot bucket trailer loaded with bags of flour overturned after crashing into the side rail of Kara Bridge.

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According to the agency, preliminary investigation indicated that the accident was caused by overloading, resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle, with no loss of life recorded but the driver sustaining severe injuries and being evacuated to a hospital by the Nigeria Police Force.

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Swift action was taken to bring the situation under control, with transloading operations carried out to transfer the cargo into another trailer, while the overturned truck was recovered with the assistance of two private towing trucks procured by the Nigeria Police Force.

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Due to extensive damage to the truck's wheels, final evacuation will require a heavy-duty crane, with the recovered truck moved to a lay-by pending this, and the scene handed over to TRACE officials after the conclusion of transloading.

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Traffic management was jointly supervised by LASTMA and the Nigeria Police Force to ensure the free flow of vehicular movement and minimize gridlock, with responding agencies including LASEMA LRT, LASTMA, FRSC, TRACE, and the Nigeria Police Force.

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The operation has been concluded, and the agency's LRT has returned to base, with the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, commending the responding agencies for their professionalism and timely intervention, which prevented the situation from escalating.

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Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu urged haulage operators to adhere strictly to load limits and road safety regulations, while also advising residents to ensure regular inspection and maintenance of electrical installations, particularly prepaid meters, to prevent fire outbreaks caused by electrical surges.