For motorists heading towards Mowe and Ibadan on Tuesday, what should have been an ordinary journey along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway quickly turned into a frustrating battle with gridlock.

The repair of damaged expansion joints on the Kara Bridge forced a partial closure of the carriageway, leaving thousands of motorists crawling through a corridor that soon became heavily congested.

By about 2 p.m., traffic had built up from the 7Up/Toll Gate junction towards Kara Bridge, with vehicles moving at a snail’s pace. Some motorists were forced to switch off their engines as they waited for prolonged periods before traffic began moving again.

The Federal Ministry of Works commenced repairs following concerns about the condition of the bridge’s expansion joints.

But while the intervention is expected to improve the condition of the bridge, motorists have complained about the immediate hardship caused by the traffic management arrangement.

One motorist, who was caught in the gridlock around 7Up while heading towards Mowe, questioned the way the repair was being handled.

“Please, are we truly saying that this is the best way to fix an expansion joint? I am currently at 7Up heading to Mowe.

All the cars around me had to turn off their engines. It is a total lockdown. When will we get to our destination?” the motorist lamented.

Another road user wondered why traffic was being stopped completely when some lanes remained available for movement.

The Lagos State Government had on Monday warned motorists to expect delays during the two-week repair exercise and advised them to plan their journeys accordingly.

In a travel advisory signed by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, the government said half of the affected section would be closed at a time, with motorists expected to share the available lane interchangeably.