FG begins Kara Bridge repairs September 8, warns motorists
The Federal Government will begin a two-week repair of damaged expansion joints on the Kara Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on September 8, 2026.
The Federal Ministry of Works announced the planned intervention following an inspection of the affected section of the expressway.
Acting Federal Controller of Works in Ogun State, Richard Adeleye, said the repairs had become necessary because the bridge’s expansion joints had exceeded their service life and posed safety risks to motorists.
He said the work would be carried out in phases to minimise disruption to traffic. One half of the affected section will initially be closed while vehicles use the other side under controlled traffic conditions.
After about one week, the repair work will shift to the opposite section.
Traffic management personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority are expected to be deployed around the construction area.
Adeleye explained that expansion joints allow bridge structures to accommodate movement caused by changes in temperature. He warned that failure to replace the damaged joints could result in structural problems, including cracking and buckling.
The affected section is expected to cover about 100 metres, while motorists using the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will still be allowed to pass through the area under controlled traffic conditions.
Adeleye advised motorists travelling towards Ibadan to consider alternative routes, including the Ogijo-Ikorodu Road and roads around the Sango and Abeokuta axes where appropriate.
He said the replacement joints are expected to remain serviceable for between 10 and 20 years.
The Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kehinde Hamzat, said traffic control would be intensified during the repair period and diversions would be introduced where necessary.
He urged motorists to exercise patience, obey traffic instructions and consider avoiding the route where their journeys were not urgent.
