Thousands of motorists and commuters were trapped in a crippling gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway overnight, with many spending over 11 hours in traffic without moving an inch.
The nightmare, triggered by the ongoing construction work on the Kara Bridge, turned Nigeria’s busiest highway into a massive parking lot from Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning.
“We Slept On The Road” – 12-Hour Ordeal
One stranded motorist, who left TBS, Lagos at exactly 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, described the harrowing experience. As of 5:29 a.m. this morning, Wednesday, September 16, he was still at a standstill on the Kara Bridge, approaching OPIC, inward Mowe/Ibafo.
“I have been trapped in traffic since 6:00p.m. yesterday, Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
We left TBS at exactly 6:00p.m. yesterday, Tuesday, September 15, 2026, and as of now, 5:29a.m. this morning, Wednesday, September 16, 2026 we were still at a standstill on the Kara bridge, approaching OPIC, inward Mowe/Ibafo.”
His story is not isolated. Across social media, videos showed exhausted commuters sleeping in buses, drivers stepping out of their cars in frustration, and families with children stranded with no food or water.
The gridlock stretched for kilometres in both directions, with inward and outward sections of the expressway completely locked.
Construction Chaos Spills Into Lagos Metropolis
As of this morning, the congestion has spilled deep into Lagos, paralyzing key entry routes. Standstill traffic has been reported around Ketu, Ojota, Ogba, Berger, Ogudu, and inward Mowe-Ibafo.
Officials attribute the total lock-down to the narrowed lanes and heavy-duty equipment at the Kara Bridge construction zone, which has reduced traffic flow to a crawl. With thousands of vehicles trying to navigate the bottleneck at once, the road finally gave way late Tuesday and failed to recover overnight.
For many workers who live in Mowe, Ibafo, Arepo and beyond but work on the Island and mainland Lagos, resumption this morning has become impossible.
Employers are now urging caution. Staff have been advised to remain vigilant, monitor traffic updates closely, and obtain approval from HR to shelter in place or work remotely if the disruption continues throughout Wednesday.
Motorists are advised to avoid the Lagos-Ibadan corridor entirely for now and seek alternative routes where possible.
