Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Gridlock Deepens As Kara Repairs Continue

Motorists and commuters on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have been left stranded for hours as ongoing repairs on the Kara Bridge continue to cause severe traffic congestion along the major Lagos-Ogun corridor.

The latest gridlock has affected movement from the Lagos end through areas around Fatgbems, Long Bridge, Arepo and Mowe, with thousands of travellers experiencing long delays. The disruption has also increased pressure on commuters who depend on the expressway for daily movement between Lagos and Ogun State.

The immediate cause of the latest traffic crisis is work on damaged expansion joints on the Kara Bridge. The repairs are part of continuing efforts to address deterioration on sections of the expressway, but the restricted movement around the bridge has created major bottlenecks.

The current situation follows earlier repair plans announced by the Federal Government. In February 2026, authorities announced a six-week partial closure affecting expansion joints at Kara Bridge, Magboro Bridge and Arepo-Punch Bridge after the joints were said to have deteriorated significantly and posed safety concerns.

Another repair programme planned for July was later postponed following concerns about the effect of the work on traffic. The Kara Bridge intervention eventually returned in September, bringing back the familiar problem of long queues and slow movement on the corridor.

For many motorists, the problem has gone beyond the inconvenience of spending hours on the road. The prolonged congestion has increased fuel consumption, delayed commercial activities and left some passengers searching for alternative ways to complete their journeys.

The traffic situation has also been linked to fresh road crashes. On Wednesday, a separate accident near Ipara Remo killed four people and injured another after a Mitsubishi vehicle reportedly rammed into a moving truck while attempting to overtake.

Commercial transport operators have also increased fares as the gridlock persists. Some commuters reportedly paid as much as N5,000 for journeys that would normally cost considerably less, while others resorted to trekking after being trapped in traffic for extended periods.

The repeated disruption has renewed questions about how repairs are planned and managed on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, particularly given the importance of the road to commuters, businesses and interstate transport.

With repair work continuing around Kara Bridge, motorists have been advised to exercise patience, follow traffic control measures and allow additional travel time when using the route. The immediate priority remains completing the repairs while restoring smoother movement along one of Nigeria’s busiest transport corridors.

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