Gridlock worsens as Kara Bridge repairs begin

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Two-week repair works on the Kara Bridge have triggered heavy gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, leaving motorists stranded for several hours.

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The Federal Government began the replacement of damaged expansion joints on the bridge on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, after the project was earlier suspended to allow for traffic management planning.

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The repairs have caused severe congestion along the corridor, with the gridlock stretching from the Kara Bridge in Ogun State to the 7Up Junction in Lagos State and beyond.

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As of Tuesday afternoon, the traffic had extended beyond the Secretariat Bus Stop, while motorists coming from Ikeja and Agege and heading towards the Otedola underpass were also caught in the congestion stretching beyond Otunba Jobi Fele Way.

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Many commuters also took to social media to share videos and images of the gridlock, saying they spent several hours travelling from their workplaces to their homes.

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By Wednesday morning, motorists were seen using one-way traffic routes to get passengers to their destinations as the congestion persisted.

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Traffic and security officials, including the police, military, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Federal Road Safety Corps and Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, were deployed to manage the situation.

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However, the repair works at the entry and exit points of the bridge towards OPIC further compounded the congestion around Kara.

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The spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, urged motorists to exercise patience and cooperate with traffic officials during the repair period.

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He said, “We anticipated that there would be traffic, and that was why we issued a traffic advisory earlier.

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“We can only appeal to motorists to bear with us for the time being because the repair works are necessary to ensure smooth movement and the safety of road users along the corridor.

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“Anyone who does not have an important business along the axis should stay away, and those who cannot avoid using that route should cooperate with traffic officials.”

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The two-week rehabilitation, directed by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, involves replacing deteriorating expansion joints to improve road safety and the structural integrity of the bridge.

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The project is expected to run until September 22, 2026.

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The Lagos State Government has advised motorists using the corridor to plan their journeys ahead, adding that one half of the affected section would be closed at a time while traffic uses the other half interchangeably.

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The government also urged motorists to cooperate with traffic managers to ensure the rehabilitation is completed as scheduled.

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