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Motorists and commuters have endured over 14 hours of gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway after a seven-vehicle crash at Kara Bridge.
The crash occurred on Tuesday and initially disrupted traffic towards Ogun State.
However, the congestion later stretched beyond the Long Bridge towards Magboro and into Lagos.
By Wednesday, traffic had brought movement to a standstill in several sections, with some commuters forced to turn back because of the severe congestion.
Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) said its LRT Tiger Squad was dispatched to the scene at 6:05 am after receiving a distress call.
LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said the crash involved a 40-foot container truck, a Toyota Hilux, an interstate bus, a Hyundai Odyssey, a Sienna, a Toyota Highlander, and a Mitsubishi Hilux.
He said the container truck developed a mechanical fault while moving, causing the driver to lose control and hit the other vehicles.
“Private towing trucks were deployed to support the recovery operation, while all the affected vehicles were eventually removed from the carriageway to the roadside. Fortunately, no loss of life or injury was recorded in the incident,” the statement said.
However, removing the vehicles did not immediately ease the congestion.
Some motorists drove against traffic to escape the gridlock, creating another bottleneck at the OPIC section.
A traffic official said the motorists occupied three lanes while trying to reconnect to the main carriageway, leaving only one lane for vehicles heading into Lagos.
By 5 pm, the gridlock had stretched beyond the Long Bridge towards Magboro.
Checks at about 7 pm showed that the congestion had extended towards Iyana-Oworo, with slow movement also recorded on the Third Mainland Bridge.
Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) spokesperson Adebayo Taofiq said another accident at the Kara axis later worsened the situation.
“The traffic was because another accident happened this evening in the same area.
LASTMA officers were there till this night,” he said.
Meanwhile, transport fares rose sharply as commuters struggled to navigate the affected routes.
The crash occurred following ongoing repair work on the Kara Bridge, which has already reduced available road space and caused delays along the expressway.
Traffic has come to a standstill on the Obanikoro axis towards Maryland in Lagos, with some commuters turning back due to the congestion.
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— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) September 16, 2026
