The Federal Government has announced a six-week partial closure of sections of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway to allow for urgent repairs on critical bridge components along the route.
The affected areas include Kara Bridge, Magboro Bridge and Arepo–Punch Bridge, where failing expansion joints have been identified as major safety risks, particularly on the Lagos-bound carriageway.
The disclosure was made on Thursday by the Federal Ministry of Works during an on-site briefing at Kara Bridge. The ministry explained that the decision followed fresh inspections which revealed that the condition of the expansion joints had worsened, posing dangers to motorists and contributing to frequent accidents.
Speaking to journalists, the Ogun State Federal Controller of Works, Michael Komolafe, apologised to road users for the inconvenience the partial closure would cause but stressed that the repairs were unavoidable.
According to him, earlier rehabilitation work on the Lagos-bound section had been suspended after public complaints about severe traffic congestion. However, new reports showed that the deteriorating joints could no longer be ignored.
Komolafe said the Minister of Works, David Umahi, subsequently directed the immediate resumption of repair works to prevent further damage and possible loss of lives.
He explained that repairs had already been completed on half of the Lagos-bound sections of Magboro and Arepo–Punch bridges, while the remaining sections — including parts of the Ibadan-bound carriageway — would now be handled under a phased traffic management plan.
The contractor handling the project, CBC Construction Company, confirmed that the repair work would span 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 part of the work at Kara Bridge had earlier been completed before construction was paused due to traffic pressure.
“At Kara Bridge, we had completed half of the work but suspended the rest to reduce traffic congestion. With fresh instructions from the ministry, we are now returning to fix the problem permanently,” he said.
He described the condition of the expansion joints at Kara Bridge as “very poor,” linking them to accidents and damage to vehicles.
Duan added that safety measures, including barriers, warning signs, lighting and traffic guides, would be installed before diversions begin to protect motorists and construction workers.
“We plan to complete half of each expansion joint within a week. For the Ibadan-bound side, the three bridges will be handled in phases, with each bridge taking about one week,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kehinde Hamzat, assured motorists that traffic control arrangements were already in place to reduce disruptions.
Hamzat warned against driving against traffic, noting that violators would be arrested and penalised.
He said the partial closure became necessary after repeated reports of collapsed expansion joints created deep depressions on the road, especially around Kara Bridge, leading to crashes.
Describing the repairs as critical, Hamzat appealed to motorists for patience and cooperation, stressing that the intervention was aimed at improving safety on one of the country’s busiest highways.