Commuters along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway endured heavy traffic congestion on Wednesday morning after a mechanical problem involving a Mack truck at Otedola Bridge.
What initially appeared to be a minor battery issue later escalated into a complete road obstruction when the truck overturned during a private recovery effort, spilling two 20-foot containers onto the busy highway.
The incident halted traffic in both directions, leaving motorists stranded in a gridlock that stretched back to Kara Bridge.
However, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority later confirmed that the containers had been removed and normal traffic flow restored.
In a statement on Wednesday, the agency said: “The two containerised boxes have been successfully recovered and removed from the roadway. Traffic is moving very fast. Our officers are still on the ground, managing traffic and ensuring smooth vehicular movement.”
According to the statement, the Mack truck “developed a battery/mechanical fault on Otedola Bridge inward Secretariat.”
During the private recovery operation, the vehicle reportedly overturned, causing the containers to drop onto the roadway and trigger severe congestion on both the inbound and outbound lanes of the expressway.
LASTMA explained that it quickly deployed a heavy-duty tow truck while a crane was mobilised to the scene. The agency also noted that its Rescue & Recovery Team “was also on ground at the scene for vehicle removal and traffic control, with personnel fully on ground.”
The authority added that the traffic buildup had earlier extended past Kara Bridge while the recovery exercise was ongoing but assured motorists that the expressway had now been cleared and vehicular movement fully restored.