A truck accident involving two 20-foot containers caused heavy traffic congestion around the Otedola Bridge section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday.
PUNCH Metro gathered that the incident involved a Mack articulated truck transporting two containers, which reportedly suffered a battery-related mechanical failure while travelling across the bridge.
The spokesperson for the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Adebayo Taofiq, disclosed in a statement that the situation worsened when an attempt by private individuals to tow the faulty truck ended in an accident.
According to him, the truck overturned during the recovery attempt, causing the containers to detach and spill onto the roadway, thereby blocking part of the expressway.
Taofiq explained that an assessment conducted at the scene indicated that no lives were lost in the incident, adding that traffic officials and other emergency responders quickly intervened to manage the situation.
He noted that the LASTMA Rescue and Recovery Team, alongside officers from the agency’s Zone 2 Command, were immediately dispatched to the location after the distress call was received.
The officials, he said, promptly implemented traffic control measures to maintain order and ensure the safety of motorists navigating the affected route.
To aid the removal of the obstruction, the main carriageway inbound Lagos was temporarily shut while a heavy-duty tow truck was deployed to the scene.
Taofiq further stated that a crane was later mobilised to lift and reposition the fallen containers, enabling officials to carry out the recovery process effectively.
The incident led to a significant buildup of traffic, with the backlog of vehicles stretching beyond the Kara Bridge area as motorists struggled through the affected corridor.
Despite the disruption, LASTMA personnel remained on ground to divert traffic, regulate vehicular movement and manage crowds until the road was cleared.
He added that normal traffic flow gradually resumed after the overturned truck and its containers were successfully removed from the road and the carriageway reopened.
Reacting to the development, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, directed the immediate deployment of additional operatives to the scene to support ongoing recovery and traffic management operations.
Bakare-Oki reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to protecting road users, preserving public infrastructure and ensuring smooth vehicular movement across Lagos roads.
PUNCH Metro had earlier reported in January that a trailer driver lost his life in an accident that occurred on the same bridge.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Works had earlier advised motorists to anticipate possible delays due to ongoing repair and expansion works on bridge joints along sections of the expressway.
On Tuesday, our correspondent observed partial gridlock on the Berger–OPIC stretch of the road, attributed to the ongoing rehabilitation activities.
