Severe gridlock that left commuters stranded for several hours following the closure of Independence Bridge in the Falomo area of Lagos State on Wednesday has left commuters with bitter tales.
Commuters and motorists in Lagos endured hours of gridlock on Wednesday till the wee hours of Thursday following the closure of the Independence Bridge located in the Falomo area of Lagos State for maintenance and rehabilitation.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olukorede Kesha, disclosed on Monday in a statement that the bridge would remain closed until the end of May 2025.
According to her, the closure would affect traffic traveling from the Ahmadu Bello Way and Adeola Odeku towards Marina, Eko Bridge, and Onikan by Zone 2 Police Command headquarters.
Kesha had advised motorists to plan their journeys accordingly and use alternative routes to avoid traffic congestion during the repair period.
She also apologised for any inconvenience the closure might cause and thanked the public for their understanding and cooperation as the government worked to ensure the safety and stability of the road infrastructure.
However, the closure led to immediate and severe traffic congestion across Lagos Island as commuters reported being stranded for hours, with some resorting to alternative means of transportation, such as ferries, to bypass the gridlock, while motorists expressed frustration over the lack of adequate traffic management measures.
The combination of plans to begin the repair work and early morning rain in some parts of Lagos threw Lagos Island frequenters into chaos. Traffic snarls caused slow movement, delaying people from getting to work early on Thursday.
Many had to trek long distances, just as motorists couldn’t make much progress as the busy Victoria Island and Ikoyi areas were the worst hit, with most streets suffering from the gridlock.
Among the ugly tales that followed the traffic was the story of a septugenarian (name withheld) who fell into a manhole while taking a stroll to relieve the stress she had faced in the traffic.
Speaking with our correspondent in a telephone conversation on Thursday, a member of the victim’s family, Tosin Kassim, disclosed that the family was preparing for her 70th birthday.
We were planning for her 70th birthday which is supposed to come up on Sunday. Several people have flown from different parts of the world to attend the party. She had gone out in preparation for the birthday party when she was caught up in the gridlock. After spending several hours in the gridlock, she decided to trek and told her driver to meet her in front.
It was while she was strolling that she fell into a manhole, which has left her hospitalised, and she had to go through surgeries. We hope that the authorities will do something about the situation.
A source who does not want to be mentioned in the media disclosed in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Thursday that a seven-year-old boy died in the gridlock because the vehicle conveying him could not get to the hospital as timely.
He disclosed that the boy was referred to a private hospital in the area but due to the prolonged hours of the gridlock and the inability of the driver to manoeuvre its way out of the situation, the boy gave up the ghost.
The source said, I was informed that a seven-year-old boy died in the traffic because they could not get to the hospital that he was referred to. Their vehicle was stuck in the traffic for several hours.
Also narrating a friend’s ordeal, a commuter, Dr Lakinbofa Goodluck, noted that her friend developed complications from an ulcer due to the prolonged stay in the traffic and that it took the intervention of co-workers to save her.
He said, I left home around 09:30 am because I live around Ikate, and I got to Lekki at about 12:30 pm. So, at that point, I had to turn back because if I spent more than three hours just getting to Lekki Tollgate, I’d probably spend another three hours to get to work.
My friend called me at about 11:30 pm, saying that she had been in traffic since 2 pm. She said she was hungry because she could not get something to eat, and she had begun to have complications from her ulcer. I had to call my colleagues at work to get food that I kept in the freezer across to her. It was a terrible situation.
Other motorists, who had a hectic time plying the Obalende and Falomo overhead bridge to connect to Victoria Island, Lekki and Ajah, lamented the ongoing repairs.
In a series of videos shared on social media, some netizens expressed their frustration while claiming to have spent longer hours in the gridlock.
But this is frustrating. A very poor planning and traffic management. Vehicles are currently at a standstill and people have no other option than to trek. As if the trauma isn’t enough already,” Lucy Oyadime wrote on X.
Another X user, Chris Ejiofor, claimed to have spent four hours in the gridlock.
He wrote, “Welcome to Lagos. Before you consider relocating to Lagos, just know that this is one of the things you have to deal with. Traffic jams will mess with you and your schedules some days, and you can even spend like four hours on the road just like they did here today.”
An X user, @Tumininu, who expressed frustration at the development, said he got home at about 2 am and had to wake up by 5 am to prepare for work.
I got home by 2 am due to the traffic. I’m up again by 5 am, heading back to the same traffic. Now this is abnormal, he wrote.
The situation, however, did not abate as vehicles again stalled through the axis on Thursday morning.
Television anchor Rufai Oseni, in a video he posted on X, said, “Traffic again this morning. The Federal Government said they have opened the Independent Bridge, the same path that I passed through yesterday, and that they have started excavation work on the ground. How will they open it for traffic? We are such a joke in this country, and that is part of the poor planning and improper thinking that happens in leadership.”
The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Olukorede Kesha, however, confirmed in a telephone conversation with The PUNCH on Wednesday that the bridge would be reopened.
She said her team was already working to implement remedial measures to reopen the bridge for vehicular traffic, as parts of the bridge have already been damaged.
She was, however, uncertain if commuters would be able to use the bridge on Friday but assured commuters and motorists that her team was working overnight to ease vehicular movement.
“Yes, that is true. The minister (of works) has directed me to open it. But as it is, we are trying to see how we can take remedial measures so that we can open the bridge for vehicular movement because we have already broken parts of the bridge.
“We are still unsure if commuters will be able to use it tomorrow (Friday). But we are currently working overnight to do some remedial work. We are working on that. The destruction had gone a bit far, but all hands are on deck too. Hopefully, by tomorrow, we will open the bridge to traffic,” she disclosed.
In response to the public outcry, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu visited the Independence Bridge rehabilitation site on Thursday to assess the situation firsthand. He apologised to residents for the severe traffic disruptions and explained that the decision to repair the bridge was made to avert a potential disaster.
Sanwo-Olu emphasised that the structural integrity of the bridge had deteriorated significantly, necessitating immediate intervention.
To mitigate the impact of the closure, the governor announced plans to clean up alternative routes and deploy more traffic officers and security operatives to manage the flow of vehicles.
He also advised residents to consider remote work options where possible to reduce the volume of traffic during the repair period.
In a subsequent visit, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, expressed displeasure with the closure of the bridge, stating that he was not informed before the decision was made.
Umahi said he was directed by the President to check the situation, adding that the closure should not happen without proper approvals. While acknowledging the need for urgent repairs on the bridge, Umahi faulted the way the closure was handled, describing it as unacceptable.
I have looked at the structural problems, and I am aware of them. We designed the rehabilitation, but unfortunately, when the bridge was to be closed, the controller did that on her own, and it is very unfortunate.
For a bridge to be closed, especially in Lagos, as has been the tradition, I should be informed as a minister. We should also have studied the implications, even though it is an emergency. I would have deployed emergency evacuation measures to mitigate the effects of closing the bridge.
Umahi warned federal controllers and engineers against unilaterally closing bridges without proper approvals, vowing that disciplinary actions would be taken against those responsible.
I use this opportunity to warn all controllers and engineers never to close any bridge without running it through the Permanent Secretary, who will seek the permission of the Minister of Works. There will be consequences and disciplinary actions for this, Umahi said.
