Trailer Crash Triggers Gridlock on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as Motorists Resort to Bush Paths

By Opeyemi Adelakun

A trailer crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has triggered severe gridlock, leaving motorists stranded for hours and forcing some travellers to resort to bush paths and inner roads to escape the congestion.

The accident occurred around 1am on Tuesday along the outbound carriageway at Sinowa, with the fallen trailer still obstructing part of the expressway as of Tuesday morning.

The crash left motorists with only one lane to navigate the affected section, causing traffic to build rapidly as more vehicles arrived.

An eyewitness, Miss Tolani, said motorists had been virtually at a standstill since the accident occurred, adding that the situation became worse as the available lane struggled to accommodate the increasing volume of vehicles.

Some motorists reportedly abandoned the main expressway and attempted to use hidden roads and bush paths. The diversion, however, created additional congestion around Mowe and Ofada as more vehicles moved towards alternative routes.

Confirming the incident, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority spokesperson, Akinbiyi Babatunde, said the crash had caused a major obstruction to traffic flow.

He said the situation was further worsened by motorists attempting to leave their designated lanes and cross into the opposite section of the expressway.

Akinbiyi said TRACE, the Federal Road Safety Corps and the police had deployed personnel to the affected areas to restore normal traffic flow.

He urged motorists to remain patient, obey traffic directives, avoid driving against traffic and refrain from lane indiscipline.

The LASTMA spokesperson also advised motorists who could do so to use alternative routes, including the Old Lagos-Sango-Ifo-Ewekoro-Abeokuta Expressway, Sagamu-Sotubo-Ogijo-Ikorodu Expressway and Ijebu-Ode-Epe Expressway.

Traffic congestion was still building up along both carriageways of the expressway as of Tuesday morning, with motorists’ attempts to divert through inner roads and bush paths further worsening movement around the affected areas.