Back-to-Back Crashes Paralyse Traffic on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Motorists travelling along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were thrown into hours of frustration on Tuesday as multiple road crashes on two major bridges triggered severe traffic congestion on one of Nigeria’s busiest transport corridors.

According to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the incidents occurred separately on the Otedola Bridge inward Berger and the Kara Bridge inward Opic, both critical gateways linking Lagos to the South-West hinterland.

The Agency cautioned motorists to drive carefully as emergency teams worked to restore traffic flow.The first crash, involving five vehicles, was recorded on the Otedola Bridge.

LASTMA officials were immediately deployed to secure the scene and manage traffic, but the accident resulted in a long queue of vehicles, with congestion stretching back to the Ojota axis.

A second collision later occurred on the Kara Bridge, where eight vehicles were involved. Tow trucks were dispatched to evacuate the damaged vehicles, while traffic officers were positioned to ease the resulting gridlock.

In a public advisory, LASTMA said its Officers remained on the ground to manage the situation and urged drivers to remain vigilant.The Kara Bridge, which crosses the Ogun River at the Lagos-Ogun boundary, has a history of serious accidents.

In October, a multi-vehicle crash on the same bridge claimed several lives, including that of a police inspector, after heavy-duty trucks, one reportedly a fuel tanker, collided.

Eyewitnesses to that earlier tragedy recounted how one of the trucks veered off the roadway, smashed into the bridge barricade and plunged into the Ogun River.

LASTMA later confirmed multiple casualties and disclosed that a towing vehicle deployed for rescue and recovery operations was also damaged.

Tuesday’s incidents caused massive traffic disruption on the expressway, with some motorists reportedly driving against traffic in a bid to escape the gridlock.

Commercial transport operators were also accused of exploiting the situation by hiking fares, charging between ₦2,000 and ₦2,500 for the Berger–Oshodi route, far above the usual ₦1,000 to ₦1,200.

The Kara Bridge crash came less than 24 hours after another truck accident was recorded on the Otedola Bridge, once again drawing attention to persistent safety challenges along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were on hand to assist in traffic control and vehicle recovery as efforts continued to clear the affected sections of the road.