The Federal Government has announced a six-week partial closure of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway to carry out urgent repairs on deteriorated expansion joints at Kara Bridge, Magboro Bridge, and Arepo–Punch Bridge.
The Federal Ministry of Works made the announcement on Thursday, describing the closure as unavoidable due to the worsening condition of the bridges, particularly on the Lagos-bound carriageway. Previous rehabilitation works had been suspended following public complaints over severe traffic congestion.
Speaking during an inspection at Kara Bridge, the Ogun State Federal Controller of Works, Michael Komolafe, apologised to motorists for the inconvenience but stressed that the repairs were necessary to ensure public safety.
Komolafe explained that inspections revealed significant deterioration of the expansion joints on the three bridges, posing serious safety risks and contributing to frequent road crashes along the corridor. He added that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, had ordered the immediate resumption of the rehabilitation works after receiving reports on the worsening state of the bridges.
According to him, repair works had already been completed on half of the Lagos-bound sections of Magboro and Arepo–Punch bridges, while the remaining sections, especially on the Ibadan-bound side, would now be handled under a new traffic management plan.
The project contractor, CBC Construction Company, confirmed that the repair works would last six weeks. Its General Manager, Andy Duan, said equipment mobilisation would be completed over the weekend, with full construction expected to begin on Monday.
Duan noted that parts of the expansion joints at Magboro and Arepo–Punch bridges had already been repaired, while half of the Lagos-bound section of Kara Bridge was completed before work was halted to prevent excessive traffic build-up.
“At Kara Bridge, we completed half of the work but suspended the rest to avoid worsening congestion. We now have fresh directives from the Ministry of Works to permanently fix the problem,” he said.
He described the condition of the expansion joints at Kara Bridge as “very poor,” linking them directly to accidents and vehicle damage. Duan added that safety barriers, warning signs, lighting, and other protective measures would be installed before traffic diversions begin.
“We expect to complete half of each expansion joint within one week. Work on the Ibadan-bound side will be done in phases, with each bridge taking about one week,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Kehinde Hamzat, said traffic control measures had been put in place to reduce disruption during the repair period.
Hamzat warned motorists against driving against traffic, noting that violators would be arrested and sanctioned. He said the decision to partially close the expressway followed repeated reports of failed expansion joints that had created deep potholes and caused accidents, particularly around Kara Bridge.
Urging motorists to cooperate with traffic officials, Hamzat appealed for patience, stressing that the temporary closure was aimed at preventing further crashes and improving safety on one of Nigeria’s busiest highways.
