“Directives from above,” FG announces last-minute indefinite suspension of Kara Bridge rehabilitation

The Federal Ministry of Works has suspended indefinitely the planned rehabilitation of a section of the Kara Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The repair work was initially scheduled to commence on Tuesday (yesterday) and last for two weeks.

The acting federal controller of works in Ogun, R. Adeleye, who announced the suspension, did not state the reason for the development, citing only “directives from above”.

“I am very sorry to announce at this eleventh hour that we have put on hold the proposed Kara Bridge expansion joints repair scheduled to commence this morning, July 28, 2026, on directives from above due to some very crucial reasons,” Adeleye said.

“A rescheduled date shall be announced in due course.”

The Lagos state government had earlier issued a traffic advisory notifying motorists of the planned rehabilitation.

Bolanle Ogunlola, director of public affairs at the Lagos ministry of transportation, said the existing four-lane carriageway would be temporarily reduced to two lanes over a 1.5-kilometre stretch to create a safe work zone for the repairs.

Ogunlola had advised motorists to expect partial traffic disruptions around the Kara axis and urged them to obey traffic regulations and cooperate with traffic management officials.

She said moderate traffic is expected around the Fatgbems Turn as some motorists make U-turns or seek alternative routes to avoid delays.

She, however, said traffic heading towards Ibadan beyond the Fatgbems Turn is expected to flow with minimal disruption.

The federal ministry of works has yet to announce a new date for the commencement of the rehabilitation project.