Reported by Simon Daniel Yusuph l Journalist at Weng Global
Motorists and commuters on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway endured more than 14 hours of severe traffic congestion on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, after multiple crashes around the Kara Bridge compounded restrictions caused by ongoing rehabilitation work on the busy highway.
The disruption affected movement between Lagos and Ogun State, with traffic queues extending deep into adjoining areas as road users struggled to navigate the partially restricted bridge.
One of the major incidents involved a 40-foot container truck that lost control and crashed into six other vehicles at Kara Bridge, inward OPIC. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said seven vehicles were involved in that particular crash and confirmed that no life was lost and no injury was recorded.
The crash occurred as the Federal Government continued a two-week rehabilitation of the Kara-Berger section of the expressway, where damaged expansion joints are being replaced.
Seven Vehicles Involved in Early-Morning Crash
According to LASEMA, the early-morning accident involved a 40-foot container truck, a Toyota Hilux, an interstate bus, a Hyundai Odyssey, a Sienna, a Toyota Highlander and a Mitsubishi Hilux.
The agency said its LRT Tiger Squad, stationed at C3, received a distress call at about 6:05 a.m. and was dispatched to the scene.
Emergency responders subsequently worked with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and the Nigeria Police Force to control the area and prevent further incidents.
The affected vehicles were removed from the carriageway with the assistance of private towing trucks, after which traffic flow on the bridge was restored.
LASEMA said the recovered vehicles were handed over to the police for documentation and further necessary action.
The agency’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, commended emergency responders and traffic management officials for their intervention and urged motorists, particularly operators of articulated vehicles, to maintain their vehicles properly and comply with roadworthiness requirements.
Repairs Had Already Reduced Traffic Capacity
The crash occurred against the backdrop of an ongoing Federal Government rehabilitation programme on Kara Bridge.
The Federal Ministry of Works began a two-week exercise on September 8 to replace deteriorating expansion joints on the Kara-Berger Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The project is scheduled to continue until September 22.
Officials said the repairs were necessary because the existing expansion joints had deteriorated and exceeded their service life, creating safety concerns for motorists.
The rehabilitation involves working on one half of the affected section while traffic is managed through the remaining available carriageway.
The Federal Government had earlier warned motorists to expect lane restrictions and delays during the project.
The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) had also advised motorists to plan their journeys and allow additional travel time during the repair period.
Traffic agencies, including TRACE, the Federal Road Safety Corps, LASTMA and the police, were deployed to help manage movement along the corridor.
Crash Compounds Existing Gridlock
The reduced road capacity meant that the Tuesday crashes had a much greater effect on traffic movement than they might have had under normal conditions.
Punch reported that motorists were trapped in traffic for more than 14 hours after the multiple-vehicle crash compounded the ongoing repair works.
The resulting congestion affected commuters travelling in both directions and created significant delays along the Lagos-Ibadan corridor.
Channels Television separately reported that a container-laden trailer incident on Tuesday afternoon further worsened the traffic situation, forcing a closure of the outward-Lagos carriageway and pushing congestion beyond the Berger area.
Traffic officials subsequently worked to create an alternative passage by opening a section that had previously been restricted for the rehabilitation work.
The combination of construction restrictions, accidents and the large volume of vehicles using the corridor created a particularly difficult situation for motorists.
Another Crash Reported Around Kara Bridge
The traffic disruption was further complicated by another crash around the Kara Bridge area.
LASTMA reported that a separate incident involving a 40-foot containerised truck occurred around the expansion-joint section of the bridge, with three people injured and taken to an emergency centre for treatment.
The agency later said recovery operations had been completed and the roadway cleared, although a backlog of traffic remained.
Traffic personnel and police officers were deployed to manage the affected section and introduce counterflow measures where necessary.
The occurrence of multiple incidents within the same corridor heightened the pressure on an already restricted road network.
Kara Bridge Repairs Triggered Earlier Traffic Problems
The severe congestion on Tuesday was not an isolated occurrence.
Since the commencement of the rehabilitation on September 8, motorists have experienced substantial delays around Kara Bridge and adjoining sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Channels Television reported that traffic congestion became severe shortly after the repair work began, with motorists and commuters stranded for several hours.
Earlier reports also indicated that traffic queues extended from Kara towards parts of Lagos during peak periods.
The Federal Government had initially planned to begin the repair work in August but postponed it to allow for additional traffic-management planning following concerns about the potential disruption.
The current rehabilitation was subsequently scheduled for September 8 to September 22.
Why the Expansion Joints Are Being Replaced
Expansion joints are important components of bridge structures because they allow the structure to accommodate movement associated with temperature changes and other structural effects.
The Federal Ministry of Works said the damaged joints on the Kara Bridge had exceeded their service life and needed replacement.
Officials have described the rehabilitation as necessary for road safety, structural integrity and improved long-term traffic movement.
The affected construction area covers about 100 metres, according to information provided by the Federal Ministry of Works’ Ogun State office.
The intention is therefore to address a structural maintenance issue rather than simply carry out cosmetic road repairs.
However, the temporary reduction in road capacity has created substantial short-term difficulties for commuters who depend on the expressway every day.
Major Economic Corridor Under Pressure
The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is one of Nigeria’s most important road corridors.
It connects Lagos, Nigeria’s largest commercial centre, with Ibadan and provides onward access to several parts of the South-West and other regions.
The route carries private vehicles, commercial buses, articulated trucks and other freight traffic.
As a result, prolonged congestion on the corridor can affect more than individual journeys.
Businesses can experience delays in transporting goods, commuters can spend significantly longer travelling to work and commercial transport operators may face additional operating costs.
For freight operators, delays can also affect delivery schedules and vehicle utilisation.
The disruption therefore demonstrates how maintenance work on a major transport corridor can have wider economic consequences even when the underlying repairs are necessary.
Traffic Management Remains Critical
The latest incidents have also highlighted the importance of effective traffic management during major road rehabilitation projects.
Authorities have deployed traffic and security agencies to the corridor, while recovery teams have been used to remove damaged vehicles following crashes.
The effectiveness of those measures becomes particularly important when an accident occurs within a section where traffic is already restricted.
A single disabled truck or crashed vehicle can quickly reduce the remaining road capacity and create long queues.
This is why rapid recovery operations and clear alternative traffic arrangements are important during the remaining period of the Kara Bridge rehabilitation.
Motorists Urged to Exercise Caution
Emergency and traffic authorities have continued to urge motorists to exercise caution while using the corridor.
The condition is particularly important for articulated vehicle operators, whose vehicles can cause extensive obstruction when mechanical or braking problems occur on a restricted road section.
LASEMA urged truck operators to maintain their vehicles regularly and comply with roadworthiness requirements following the seven-vehicle crash.
Traffic officials have also advised motorists to plan journeys ahead, allow additional travel time and cooperate with personnel managing movement around the construction area.
For road users who can avoid the corridor during the busiest periods, alternative routes may help reduce exposure to the congestion.
What Happens Next?
The immediate priority is to maintain traffic movement while the Kara Bridge rehabilitation continues.
The Federal Government’s current schedule places the completion of the two-week expansion-joint replacement project on September 22, subject to construction and operational conditions.
Traffic agencies are expected to continue managing movement and responding to crashes or vehicle breakdowns along the corridor during the remaining construction period.
Motorists using the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway should therefore continue to expect possible delays around Kara Bridge until the rehabilitation is completed and normal road capacity is restored.
The authorities will also face the task of ensuring that the repaired bridge is properly maintained after the current intervention so that similar structural problems do not repeatedly disrupt one of Nigeria’s busiest transport corridors.
For commuters, the immediate concern remains getting safely through the corridor.
For the government, the longer-term challenge is ensuring that necessary infrastructure maintenance is carried out while minimising disruption to the millions of people and businesses that depend on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) — Official information on the seven-vehicle crash at Kara Bridge, emergency response and confirmation that no death or injury was recorded in that incident.
- Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) — Information on crashes, recovery operations, traffic management and injuries reported in a separate Kara Bridge incident.
- Punch Newspapers — Report on motorists being trapped in more than 14 hours of gridlock after the crash and ongoing Kara Bridge repairs.
- Channels Television — Reporting on the impact of the bridge rehabilitation, traffic restrictions and subsequent container-truck incident.
- Premium Times — Report on the container truck crash and traffic build-up around Kara Bridge.
- The Guardian Nigeria — Background on the Federal Government’s two-week Kara Bridge expansion-joint replacement project and its September 22 completion target.
