Thousands of commuters and motorists were stranded on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway – the main highway linking Nigeria’s economic hub to other parts of the country – after an accident involving multiple vehicles occurred on the Kara Bridge end, inward OPIC, of the ever-busy route.
The accident, which happened around 7 am on Friday, involved trucks and some cars, causing a gridlock along the road.
Authorities have not confirmed if there were any casualties in the accident on the ever-busy road, but some people were injured.
“We recorded an accident on the Kara bridge inward Opic on the Lagos Ibadan Express Way with multiple vehicles. LASTMA personnel and other Emergency responders have swung into action to rescue the victims and also clear the affected vehicles,” the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) wrote on X, confirming the accident.
“The incident has dragged traffic backward Otedola bridge. Patience is required from the road users.”
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), LASTMA, and other emergency responders were on the ground to clear the area and clear the traffic.
But the gridlock owing to the accident has stretched to the Mowe end of the road and the 7-Up area of Lagos State. The situation led commuters to resort to trekking, while others waited patiently for the gridlock to ease.
However, LASTMA said, “All vehicles involved in the earlier reported accident on Kara bridge inwards Opic, have now been successfully evacuated. Hence, the road has been reopened for full capacity use. Officers are still present there, making efforts to clear the backlog of traffic and ensure smooth traffic flow in the area”.
Friday’s incident adds to the long list of accidents on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which connects the nation’s commercial centre to other regions of the country.
Accidents involving articulated vehicles happen frequently on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway, which recently underwent an upgrade
