There was a glimmer of relief for motorists on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway yesterday as the contractor handling the repairs of the Kara Bridge completed the first phase of the concrete works, even as traffic congestion continued to stretch along the busy corridor.

The development came after motorists endured hours of gridlock on Tuesday, with some commuters spending almost four hours on the road as the repair works forced a partial closure of the bridge.

As of yesterday afternoon, however, traffic movement had improved slightly, although motorists approaching the bridge were still moving at a slow pace.

One motorist said he joined the traffic shortly after Emergency inward Lagos and was approaching the Otedola area at about 2:30 p.m., describing the situation as better than the previous day.

“It’s better than yesterday. I spent almost three hours from the 7Up area to get to Otedola on Tuesday. It was crazy,” he said.

The Federal Ministry of Works commenced the intervention to repair damaged expansion joints on the bridge, a development that has reduced the number of available lanes and created significant pressure on the expressway.

The Acting Controller of Works in Ogun State, Richard Adeleye, dismissed concerns that the repairs were progressing slowly, saying the first side of the bridge had already been completed despite the difficult working conditions.

“Who is saying the pace of work is slow? We are almost done with one side. We started yesterday,” Adeleye said, stressing that the hardship being experienced by motorists was understandable given the importance of the repairs.

He said the damaged expansion joints had contributed to accidents on the bridge, making the intervention necessary despite the temporary inconvenience to road users.

According to him, the contractor plans to complete the second section and switch to the other side of the bridge as quickly as possible.

However, rainfall yesterday forced the suspension of the next phase of the concrete and stone works. Workers continued drilling the expansion joint in preparation for its installation while construction activities that could not continue in the rain were put on hold.

A traffic update on the bridge said only two lanes were available to motorists heading towards the OPIC Turning, forcing the four lanes from the Secretariat towards Kara Bridge to merge into two lanes about 10 metres before the bridge.

The lane reduction also affected traffic around New Garage, where traffic lights were being used to alternate vehicles approaching from Isheri-Olowora and River Valley with those coming from Otedola Bridge and heading out of Lagos.

As a result, the traffic backlog extended towards the Mobil-Otedola axis.

Traffic management personnel, including LASTMA officers, police and other relevant agencies, were deployed at strategic points to regulate movement.

Adeleye said the agencies were on the ground to manage the situation and that arrangements had also been made for traffic control at night.

He advised motorists to remain patient and consider alternative routes, including the Ogijo and Ikorodu corridors, where traffic was reportedly lighter.

“I am also going through Ogijo, through Ikorodu now. That road is very free right now,” he said.

The Lagos State Government had earlier 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 use the available lane interchangeably.

The impact of the closure was worsened by the volume of traffic feeding into the Kara corridor from several directions, including 7Up, the Secretariat, CMD Road, Ojodu Road and other connecting routes.

Some motorists resorted to alternative routes through Ikorodu, Sagamu, GRA, Oba Akran, WEMCO Road, Ogunnusi Road and Ojodu-Berger, although many still reported spending hours on the journey.

Beyond the immediate repairs, Adeleye said the government was mindful of concerns over similar problems emerging on other bridges, including expansion joints showing signs of deterioration.

He said the current repairs were being executed with the aim of ensuring durability and preventing a recurrence.

According to him, the concrete being used is expected to attain the required strength within five to seven days, after which the repaired section can be opened to traffic.

He assured motorists that, barring unforeseen circumstances, the entire intervention would be completed within the scheduled two-week period.