Traffic congestion on Victoria Island, Ikoyi and Lekki areas of Lagos entered a second day yesterday, leaving motorists and commuters in anguish. 

The cause of the gridlock was the close from Tuesday of the Independent Bridge around Bonny Camp.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Works Minister Dave Umahi raced to the bridge and accepted responsibility for the development  and apologised to motorists for the pains it caused them.

Umahi, who on Wednesday ordered immediate reopening of the bridge, said yesterday that he would remain in Lagos till Sunday for the remedial work on the bridge to be completed before its reopening.

Sanwo-Olu was at the bridge before the minister but did not give a date for its reopening.

He assured residents that more traffic enforcement officers and security personnel would be deployed to manage traffic flow and ensure the safety of motorists.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) dispatched 600 officers and 90 guards to the routes.

Apart from advising residents to adopt new measures to beat the gridlock, the government announced alternative routes for those who could not avoid physical presence on the affected routes.

The over 53-year-old bridge was shut on Tuesday for rehabilitation of its crumbling supports and shaky beams. The end of next month was set as the time for completion of the repairs by the Federal Controller of Works in Lagos Olukorede Kesha.

Motorists stranded The gridlock caused by the closure of the bridge left many motorists panting over running out of fuel, overheating their vehicles and fear of attacks by hoodlums.  

The Nation also observed that some motorists parked their vehicles and resorted to trekking long distances.

 While some lamented their ordeal to our correspondents, others took to their social media handles, especially X to share their experiences.

Comedian Adebowale Adedayo (alias Mr Macaroni), tweeted: “There should have been adequate planning, including a reasonable timeline for execution and proper information dissemination which would have prevented to some extent the unbearable hardship the people have to endure.’’

Comedian/musician Michael Nasiru Bolaji, known as Nasboi, tweeted: “Wetin my eye see. Fifteen minutes journey to almost four hours.”

A motorist,  Niyi Ajetomobi, said: “It was very scary and hectic yesterday(Thursday). Some drivers even hit my car. People were walking because there were no buses.

‘’I left my office at 4 pm. and didn’t get home until 2:39 am on Wednesday. Here I am today (yesterday). It is almost 5 pm. I don’t even know when I would get home.”

Also,   Precious Iheanacho,  said she has had frustrating experience between Wednesday and yesterday.   .   

  “It was a terrible experience, staying in one spot for hours on Wednesday. People had to trek. From the Law School bus stop, it took us one hour and 45 minutes just to get to the Civic Centre. I left by 4 pm and got home at 12.45 am. The situation was worsened by reports of hoodlums harassing motorists in the gridlock. See me here again today(yesterday).  Only God knows when I would reach my residence.’’

A commuter, Igwe Amarachi, said: “This traffic is unlike anything I have seen before. It started around  3 pm today(yesterday and never eased up.”

Another, who declined to give his name told The Nation that he flagged down a motorcycle operator to take him to the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja to board a flight but was alarmed when he was asked to pay N50,000.

‘’ My brother. There is no way I will pay N50,000 to the airport. I have decided to go back to my base at 1004 Housing Estate on Victoria Island. As you are seeing me, I am going to trek to abode,’’ he said Umahi apologised to Lagos residents and President Bola Tinubu for the disruption of traffic flow on the Island. 

He said the closure of the bridge was for urgent rehabilitation of the collapsed return wall, carried out without his knowledge or authorisation by the Federal Controller of Works in the state.

He said: ” Unfortunately when the bridge was to be closed, I was not informed. The controller did that on her own, and it’s very unfortunate because for a bridge to be closed, especially in Lagos, as you know,   has been the tradition. I should be informed. 

“We should also have studied the implication of it, even though it’s an emergency situation, we would have deployed an emergency evaluation of the implication of closing the bridge.

“Was there any other thing we would have done? And then why we take time to do the proper work”.

Umahi warned that controllers and engineers would face disciplinary action should this type of incident happen again.

“I use the opportunity to warn all controllers and engineers all over the country, never you close a road or close any bridge without running through the permanent secretary, who will seek permission from the Honourable Minister of works,” he said.

The minister acknowledged the efforts of the Lagos State Government in managing traffic flow during the closure.

He also took responsibility for the error, saying:  “I take responsibility for it, even though I did not order it, but every action by any staff or ministry of works, I take responsibility for that.”

Umahi acknowledged that the closure was avoidable.

 “If we’re to do this properly, there would have been a different kind of method deployed and wouldn’t have necessitated the total closure,” he said.

The minister explained that the closure would have been done in such a way that it would take three days(  Friday, Saturday, Sunday) after necessary remedial works had been put in place.

Umahi outlined a plan for immediate restoration, saying: “What we are doing now is to restore the bridge temporarily within the next three days. By Sunday, this place will be open.”

Sanwo-Olu takes responsibility

Governor Sanwo-Olu said ‘’poor and inconsistent’’ communication about the closure played a major role in the gridlock.

“It was due to inadequate communication, and I take full responsibility. Work had already started on the bridge, and it was assumed that people were aware,” he said.

The governor also attributed the gridlock to the increased number of motorists returning to work after the Eid-el-Fitr holiday.

To mitigate the impact of the closure, the governor advised Lagos residents to consider remote work options, akin to the measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce vehicular movements on the Island.

“For those who don’t need to be physically present on the Island in the next two to three weeks, I encourage you to use virtual means such as telephone and Zoom for your meetings. Plan for your business and consider working remotely,” he added.