Severe traffic congestion has hit both inbound and outbound sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, particularly around the Sinoma/El-Dorado–Ibafo axis, following a multiple road traffic crash on the outbound carriageway.
The crash, which occurred around Sinowa on Monday, August 24, caused a major obstruction to the free movement of vehicles along the expressway.
The Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) said the situation was further worsened by motorists attempting to leave their designated lanes and cross into the opposite carriageway while trying to bypass the obstruction.
According to TRACE, the indiscriminate movement and encroachment into the inbound Lagos-bound section disrupted traffic in both directions and resulted in severe gridlock.
As of Tuesday, August 25, traffic was still building up from the Interchange axis towards Lagos on the inbound carriageway, while the outbound section towards Ibadan was also experiencing significant congestion.
TRACE urged motorists caught in the gridlock to remain patient, avoid driving against traffic and refrain from lane indiscipline.
The agency also advised motorists to obey the directives of traffic management personnel from TRACE, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Police, who have been deployed to the affected areas to restore normal traffic flow.
Motorists travelling along the corridor were further advised to consider alternative routes where practicable, including the Old Lagos-Sango-Ifo-Ewekoro-Abeokuta Expressway, Sagamu-Sotubo-Ogijo-Ikorodu Expressway and the Ijebu-Ode-Epe Expressway.
TRACE appealed to motorists to allow sufficient travel time and cooperate with officials on the ground as efforts continue to ease the congestion.
The agency regretted the inconvenience caused by the incident.