EXCLUSIVE: Pain, agony as motorists, commuters spend productive hours in Lagos traffic over Independence bridge repair; Minister orders reopening
It was a hellish experience for motorists and commuters in Lagos on Wednesday, particularly those shuttling the Lagos Island axis of the state.
The primary cause of the traumatising traffic according to reports was the federal government’s decision to shut the Independence Bridge (Marina bound) for “essential maintenance and rehabilitation works”. It said the bridge would remain closed until the end of May 2025.
However, the bitter experience on day one of the closure has had consequential effects on the commercial activities in that axis of the state.
Lagos traffic at 1am#lekki #ikoyi #admiralty #tinubu #lagos #nnpc #traffic #melekyari #falomo #fulani pic.twitter.com/I5eFFBzmAG
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Pedestrians and motorists had as usual thronged the roads early morning to resume at their workplaces and appointments after the Eid-el-Fitr holiday only discover that some of them them will not only be meeting up for work and appointment but spend the rest of the day navigating a road that leads no where.
The traffic build up across the Island was so massive that as early as 7am, virtually all the street on the Island was filled to brim with motorists and vehicles forming a snarl of heavy traffic with state traffic control agency, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) officials hugely involved in controlling traffic
The entire stretch of Osborne-Kingsway, Alfred Rewane; Awolowo Way, Falomo, Bourdillon; Adetokunbo Ademola; Ahmadu Bello; Eko Hotel; Ajose Adeshina; Akin Adesola, Adeola Odeku; Law School; Ozumba Mbadiwe were all on lockdown throughout Wednesday into early Thursday morning with many commuters stranded and seen trekking long distances.
NewsClick Nigeria correspondents who monitored the traffic situation came back with agonizing reports of how motorists and pedestrians endured hours of pain in a grid lockdown that lasted the entire day with some having to sleep on the road.
Motorists share bitter experience
A top banker who was stuck in the traffic for the better part of the day and didn’t return home till 3am on Thursday. The banker said rather than subject millions of people to untold hardship on first working day of an holiday week, the government could have commenced the repairs during off peak time and particularly the long holidays.
“For those close to people in the government of Lagos State, I think what happened today (from early this morning on the Island) could have been avoided.
“There’s a need for those in power to be considerate and empathetic for those who work or do business on the Island….why block a major artery into the Island on the first day of resumption from a long holiday? Whatever repairs that the state wants to carry out on the Independence Bridge, couldn’t such repairs be done during the long holidays (or late into the night on weekdays from like 1am to 4am) and Sundays)? Must we create a perception of an active government in action with this closures which in the end, is counter-productive and reputation eroding!
“It was a total lockdown across the Island today on every route as it took many workers between 8-9 hours from the 3rd Mainland to access the Island and reach their respective business locations/offices on the first day of a long holiday.
As I type the traffic situation remains chaotic on the Island as everywhere is literally blocked – with many unable to do anything today but get holed up in this unbelievable traffic that was at standstill for most of the day. I was caught up this morning in the traffic myself this morning and the experience wasn’t pleasant.
Let those in government show some human feelings for law abiding ordinary folks like us going about searching for our daily bread. We do not want to go through self-inflicted pains anymore,” he said.
A telephone dealer, Ugorji Amaka who trades at Saka Tinubu shopping complex couldn’t hide her frustration from NewsClick Nigeria: “It seems those in government care less about the suffering the closure of the Independence bridge has subjected us to since morning. At 12 noon I’m still on the road to work haven left home since 6am. How would I be productive when I get to the office and when do I know I’d return home with this heavy traffic?
“Can’t the LASG rehabilitate the bridge on weekends or late into the night when the roads are free like from 1 am to prevent this self-inflicted suffering of the everyday people.”
As far as Tolu Adewale , a banker with a tier two generation bank is concerned, “it is a shame that the state government could not utilize the long holiday of four days to carry out whatever palliative repairs that is required on independence bridge. Pushing to Wednesday when work will be resuming in full force is not only insensitive but irresponsible of a government that claims to prioritise welfare of its workforce and residents.”
Minister orders reopening
Meanwhile, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has directed the immediate reopening of the Independence Bridge.
The minister issued the directive on Wednesday following the massive traffic gridlock that enveloped the Ikoyi area of Lagos.
The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, confirmed the latest development in a telephone conversation The Punch Newspaper on Wednesday night.
The controller stated that her team is already working to implement remedial measures to reopen the bridge for vehicular traffic, as parts of the bridge have already been damaged.
She said, “Yes, that is true. The minister has directed me to open it. But as it is we are trying to see how we can do 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. 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 to, hopefully by tomorrow, open the bridge to traffic.”
