COMMUTERS and motorists plying the Lagos-Ibadan expressway have continued to groan under worsening traffic congestion caused by ongoing repair works on the damaged expansion joints of the Kara Bridge.
The gridlock, which intensified on Wednesday and continued on Thursday, stretched more than 20 kilometres into Lagos, with some commuters reportedly spending up to six hours on the usually busy highway.
The situation was further worsened by an early morning downpour, which slowed vehicular movement and created additional bottlenecks along the critical Lagos-Ogun corridor.
Commercial motorcycle operators, popularly known as Okada riders, however, took advantage of the situation to make brisk business, conveying stranded passengers from Berger Bus Stop in Lagos to destinations including Ibafo and Mowe in Ogun State.
A commuter, Fidelis Abiodun, said he spent more than six hours travelling from Ojota to Berger on Wednesday.
Abiodun attributed the compounded congestion partly to what he described as inadequate traffic control and management by the authorities.
Another motorist, Segun Molade, who lives in Magboro, Ogun State, and works in Victoria Island, Lagos, said he was forced to make a U-turn at Ojota after spending considerable time in the gridlock.
He said he would stay away from his home in Magboro until traffic conditions on the expressway improved.
The worsening situation has also prompted some passengers and travellers heading to the eastern part of the country and Ibadan to seek alternative routes, including the Lekki-Epe and Ikorodu roads.
The traffic build-up followed the narrowing of four inbound lanes heading towards Ogun State to two lanes shortly before the Kara Bridge to facilitate the ongoing engineering works. Two lanes remained open for motorists approaching the OPIC Turning.
The sudden reduction in road capacity created a major bottleneck and significantly slowed vehicular movement along the expressway.
A Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) official said the downpour temporarily halted some phases of the repair work, including planned concrete and stonework, although safety-compliant activities continued.
Workers were also said to have spent part of the day drilling the expansion joints in preparation for their final installation.
Meanwhile, the Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Michael Komolafe, said the key structural activities remain on schedule despite the adverse weather.
Komolafe explained that the initial concrete and stone applications had been completed and protected before the rainfall, enabling the workers to proceed with breaking the second section of the bridge.
He said officials were working to complete the repairs ahead of the original deadline, provided weather conditions remained favourable.
Security and traffic management agencies, including the FRSC and the police, have also been deployed at strategic points along the corridor to enforce lane discipline and facilitate the movement of vehicles.