The traffic on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has shown no sign of abating as gridlock now lasts for as long as 15 hours.
According to Punch, learnt that the potholes around the Warewa and Arepo end of the expressway had multiplied due to increased rainfall and the abandonment of the road by both state and federal authorities.
It was learnt that the only time the road was free was between 2am and 6am.
As of Monday, both sides of the road were blocked and traffic was at snail pace.
It was observed that there was traffic congestion from Ibafo inwards Lagos and vice versa due to the potholes which were gradually evolving into craters.
Our correspondent observed that a side of the Warewa end of the expressway was being avoided by motorists because it was flooded.
Some commuters, who spoke with our correspondent, said they spent their salaries on transport and it was difficult to get to their place of work on time due to the situation.
A civil servant, Olowolagba Monisola, said she had been facing difficult times plying the road every day, adding that transport cost had more than quadrupled.
She said, “I live around the Mowe area of Ogun State and every day, I go through this gridlock. Apart from the long hours I spend in the traffic, the commercial drivers make things harder for us.
“The fare from Mowe to Berger is usually N100, but now, the drivers demand as much as N500 especially when they see a crowd at the bus stop. If you are lucky, you will find the one that will ask for N300, but the struggle to enter the bus is another ballgame.”
Our correspondent, however, observed a 40-foot container abandoned at the centre of the long bridge inward Mowe, Ogun State.
It was learnt that there had been an accident on Sunday and the rescue officials who responded left it there.
Source observed as vehicles swerved to avoid crashing into the container.
A commuter, James Ademola, said the traffic situation had been bad for the past three weeks, lamenting that the government had refused to address the situation.
He said, “For the past three weeks we have been going through hell on this road because of accidents like this and the potholes especially on the road.
“Last week, policemen filled up some of the potholes, but as soon as it rained, the flood washed everything away.”
A motorist, Happy Ukona, told our correspondent that robberies are now rampant on the road.
He said, “From 6am to 9am, robbers operate freely on this long bridge and the police cannot do anything because there is no way for them to catch the robbers. The police are also stuck in traffic and their vehicles cannot move around.”
Ukona, a Seventh Day Adventist preacher, blamed previous administrations for making fake promises without fulfilling them.
“This road was first awarded to a contractor during the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration before ex-president Goodluck Jonathan passed the contract to another company and till now, the situation has not improved. The present administration seems not to be aware of the hardship of Nigerians,” he added.
Ade Moshood, an engineer, demanded that an alternative route be created around the Mowe area to connect Berger in order to reduce the traffic on the expressway.
“Soon, the churches on the expressway will start having their Yuletide programmes and if at this time we are going through this, I wonder what will happen when they start their conferences and programmes,” he added.
The Sector Commander, Ogun State Federal Road Safety Corps, Adegoke Adetunji, said the agency had deployed its men to manage the gridlock.
He said, “The problem is as a result of bad portions on the expressway. We have informed the Federal Ministry of Works and Julius Berger Construction Company of the need to take care of the road. But we have told our men to make sure motorists don’t drive against traffic and all obstructions are removed on the road. We implore motorists to be patient and drive gently when they get to the bad portions.”
An engineer with the Federal Ministry of Works who is in charge of the road, Kayode Ibrahim, declined comment.
He said, “I don’t have the details of the incident and if you want to discuss with me, you have to come to my office.”
