A trailer accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has caused severe traffic congestion, leaving motorists stranded for hours and forcing some travellers to seek alternative routes.
The crash occurred around 1am on Tuesday at Sinowa on the outbound carriageway, with the trailer reportedly falling across part of the expressway.
The incident reduced the road to a single usable lane, resulting in a buildup of vehicles and prolonged delays for motorists.
An eyewitness, Tolani, said traffic had barely moved since the accident occurred.
“Vehicles have been virtually at a standstill since the trailer fell around 1am. The situation keeps getting worse as more vehicles arrive,” she said.
Some motorists reportedly resorted to using inner roads and bush paths to escape the gridlock. However, the diversion created additional congestion around Mowe and Ofada.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Akinbiyi Babatunde, said the crash had caused a major obstruction to traffic.
“The crash, which occurred along the outbound carriageway at Sinowa, has resulted in a major obstruction to the free flow of traffic,” Babatunde said.
He added that the situation had been worsened by motorists attempting to leave their designated lanes and cross into the opposite carriageway.
According to him, personnel from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, the Federal Road Safety Corps and the police had been deployed to manage the situation and restore normal traffic flow.
“Motorists are advised to exercise patience, avoid driving against traffic and refrain from lane indiscipline,” he said.
Babatunde 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 the Ijebu-Ode-Epe Expressway.
Traffic was still building up along sections of both carriageways as of Tuesday morning, with authorities continuing efforts to ease the congestion.
