Kara Bridge Repairs: Traffic Eases Slightly As First Phase Of Work Ends

By Emmanuel Daniji

There was a slight relief for motorists travelling from Lagos towards the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway yesterday as the contractor handling the Kara Bridge repairs completed the first phase of the concrete works, although heavy traffic continued to frustrate commuters along the corridor.

The development came a day after motorists were trapped in hours of gridlock following the partial closure of the bridge, with some commuters spending almost four hours on the road.

By yesterday afternoon, however, traffic had improved compared with Tuesday, although vehicles approaching the Kara Bridge were still moving slowly.

One motorist said he joined the traffic shortly after Emergency inward Lagos and was approaching Otedola at about 2:30 p.m., describing the situation as considerably better than what he experienced the previous day.

“It’s better than yesterday. I spent almost three hours from the 7Up area to get to Otedola on Tuesday. It was crazy,” he said.

The Federal Ministry of Works began the intervention to repair damaged expansion joints on the bridge, forcing a reduction in the number of available lanes and putting additional pressure on the already busy expressway.

However, the Acting Controller of Works in Ogun State, Richard Adeleye, dismissed concerns that the project was progressing slowly, saying the first section had already been completed despite the difficult conditions faced by workers.

“Who is saying the pace of work is slow? We are almost done with one side. We started yesterday,” Adeleye said.

He explained that the repairs were necessary because the damaged expansion joints had contributed to accidents on the bridge, making the temporary disruption unavoidable.

According to him, the contractor intends to complete the second section as quickly as possible before moving to the other side of the bridge.

Rainfall, however, interrupted the next stage of the concrete and stone works yesterday. While some construction activities had to be suspended, workers continued drilling the expansion joint in preparation for its installation.

The traffic situation remained challenging as only two lanes were available to motorists heading towards the OPIC Turning. The four lanes from the Secretariat towards Kara Bridge were therefore merged into two lanes roughly 10 metres before the bridge.

The restriction also affected movement around New Garage, where traffic lights were being used to alternate vehicles approaching from Isheri-Olowora and River Valley with those coming from Otedola Bridge and heading out of Lagos.

The resulting backlog stretched towards the Mobil-Otedola axis.

To reduce the pressure, traffic management personnel, including officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the police and other relevant agencies, were deployed at strategic locations along the corridor.

Adeleye said traffic control arrangements had also been put in place for the night period.

He urged motorists to remain patient and consider alternative routes, particularly the Ogijo and Ikorodu corridors, which he said were experiencing lighter traffic.

“I am also going through Ogijo, through Ikorodu now. That road is very free right now,” he said.

The Lagos State Government had earlier warned motorists that the two-week repair exercise would cause delays and advised road users to plan their journeys accordingly.

In a travel advisory signed by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, the government said one half of the affected section would be closed at a time, with traffic managed interchangeably on the remaining available lanes.

The traffic challenge has been compounded by the large volume of vehicles feeding into the Kara corridor from several connecting routes, including 7Up, the Secretariat, CMD Road and Ojodu Road.

Some motorists have resorted to alternative routes through Ikorodu, Sagamu, GRA, Oba Akran, WEMCO Road, Ogunnusi Road and Ojodu-Berger, although commuters using some of those routes have also reported lengthy journeys.

Beyond the immediate intervention at Kara Bridge, Adeleye said authorities were also conscious of concerns over similar deterioration of expansion joints on other bridges.

He said the current repairs were being carried out with durability in mind to prevent the same problem from recurring shortly after the work is completed.

According to him, the concrete being used is expected to attain the required strength within five to seven days, after which the repaired section can be opened to traffic.

He assured motorists that, barring unforeseen circumstances, the entire intervention would be completed within the scheduled two-week period.

For thousands of Lagos and Ogun commuters who use the corridor daily, the completion of the first phase offers a small measure of relief, even as motorists brace for more traffic disruption until the repairs are fully completed.