The Federal Government has announced that repair work on the damaged expansion joints on the Kara Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will commence on September 8.
The rehabilitation is expected to be completed within two weeks, the Federal Ministry of Works said on Saturday.
The Acting Controller, Federal Ministry of Works, Ogun State, Engr. Richard Adeleye, disclosed this while speaking with journalists during an inspection of the affected portion of the expressway.
Adeleye said the repair had become necessary because the expansion joints had exceeded their service life and were posing risks to motorists using the busy highway.
He explained that the work would be carried out in phases to minimise its impact on traffic, with one half of the affected section initially closed while motorists use the other half under strict traffic control.
Adeleye disclosed that “There will be traffic control here from the 8th of this month, which will last for two weeks, precisely because of the curing that is expected before it is opened to traffic,” he said.
He added, “We will first work on half of the expansion joint to allow traffic to go slowly on the other half of the carriageway. After one week, we will switch to the other end.”
The controller said personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, among other agencies, would be deployed to manage traffic throughout the exercise.
Adeleye explained that expansion joints were designed to accommodate the natural movement of bridge structures caused by changes in temperature.
He warned that failure to replace damaged expansion joints could lead to serious structural problems, including buckling and cracking of the bridge.
“Without expansion joints on the bridge, there could be serious damage to the bridge itself because of expansion due to the heat during the day and shrinking during the cold times of the day,” he said.
“The expansion joint absorbs that movement of the bridge; otherwise, it can cause serious damage by buckling or cracking,” Adeleye added.
He assured motorists that the rehabilitation would not exceed two weeks, “all things being equal.”
The controller appealed to road users to exercise patience during the construction, noting that the damaged expansion joint had contributed to accidents along the section.
“It is better done now because it has been causing a lot of accidents. We have witnessed it, even the last time we came here. It happened right here in our presence,” he said.
Adeleye urged motorists travelling towards Ibadan to consider alternative routes, including the Ogijo-Ikorodu Road and routes around the Sango and Abeokuta axes where appropriate.
He, however, said motorists who chose to use the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would still be allowed through the construction zone under controlled traffic conditions.
He disclosed that the affected construction area would cover about 100 metres, assuring motorists that they would leave the restricted area shortly after crossing the bridge.
Adeleye described the rehabilitation as a major repair critical to the integrity of the bridge, adding that the replacement was expected to last between 10 and 20 years.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kehinde Hamzat, said traffic control would be necessary throughout the rehabilitation to ensure the safety of motorists and workers.
Hamzat said the FRSC would intensify traffic management around the construction area and divert traffic where necessary to minimise congestion and prevent accidents.
He said, “Every construction needs traffic control so that the people working can work seamlessly without any hitches. We will intensify traffic control in the area and divert traffic when necessary.”
The FRSC commander described the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as “a very critical part of the nation’s economy,” adding that personnel had been deployed to ensure the safety of road users and construction workers.
He urged motorists to exercise patience and caution, follow traffic rules and regulations, and avoid the corridor if their journeys were not urgent during the rehabilitation.
Hamzat said the work had been postponed several times because of concerns over traffic management and appeals from members of the public, expressing hope that there would be no further delay.
The Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation, Gbenga Dairo, represented by the Director of Transportation Services, Engr. Hassan Ibrahim, also advised motorists to plan their journeys ahead of the September 8 commencement date.
He urged motorists travelling from Lagos to consider the Ikorodu-Ogijo Road, Shimawa Bridge and the old road to Abeokuta as alternatives, while calling for caution and compliance with warning signs around the construction zone.
