Kara Bridge: FRSC urges commuters to work from home as repairs begin Tuesday

Kara Bridge: FRSC urges commuters to work from home as repairs begin Tuesday

The Federal Road Safety Corps has urged motorists and commuters without urgent business along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to stay off the route as the Federal Ministry of Works begins a two-week rehabilitation of the damaged expansion joint on Kara Bridge.

The Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kehinde Hamzat, specifically appealed to organisations whose operations permit remote work to allow their employees to work from home during the rehabilitation, saying the measure would help reduce traffic on the already busy corridor.

Hamzat made the appeal on Saturday while speaking with journalists during an inspection of the affected section of the expressway.

He said the repair, scheduled to commence on September 8, would require intensive traffic management because one half of the affected section would be closed at a time while motorists use the other half under controlled conditions.

“If you don't have any business along this corridor, please don't bother to come. If you can work at home and your company permits you to work from home, please work from home.

“We will reduce the traffic volume along this corridor so that the work can be done seamlessly,” Hamzat said.

He said the FRSC would deploy personnel to the construction area throughout the exercise and divert traffic where necessary to minimise congestion and protect motorists and workers.

“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,” he said.

Describing the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway as a critical artery of the national economy, Hamzat urged motorists to exercise patience, obey traffic regulations and comply with instructions from traffic management personnel.

The FRSC commander said the repair had been postponed several times following concerns over traffic management and appeals from members of the public.

“This would have been done long before now, but due to persistent cries from members of the public, the work has been suspended several times. I want to believe that this time there will be no further opportunity for postponement,” he said.

The Federal Ministry of Works had announced that the rehabilitation of the damaged expansion joints on the Kara Bridge would commence on September 8 and last for two weeks.

The Acting Federal Controller of Works, Ogun State, Engr. Richard Adeleye, disclosed this during the 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.

He explained that the work would be carried out in phases to minimise its impact on traffic.

According to him, the first half of the affected expansion joint would be closed to traffic, while motorists would use the other half under strict traffic control.

After one week, he said, the construction would shift to the other half.

“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.

“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,” Adeleye said.

He said personnel of the FRSC, the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps and the 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 resulting from changes in temperature.

He warned that failure to replace the damaged joints could cause 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.

“The expansion joint absorbs that movement of the bridge; otherwise, it can cause serious damage by buckling or cracking,” he said.

The controller said the damaged expansion joint had also contributed to accidents along the section, stressing the need for the rehabilitation to be carried out without further delay.

“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 assured motorists that the rehabilitation would be completed within two weeks, “all things being equal.”

He disclosed that the affected construction zone would be limited to about 100 metres, adding that motorists who chose to remain on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would still be allowed through the area under controlled traffic conditions.

The Federal Works official advised motorists travelling towards Ibadan to consider alternative routes, including the Ogijo-Ikorodu Road and routes around the Sango and Abeokuta axes where appropriate.

He added that the replacement expansion joint was expected to last between 10 and 20 years.

Also speaking, the Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation, Gbenga Dairo, represented by the Director of Transportation Services, Engr. Hassan Ibrahim, urged motorists to plan their journeys ahead of the commencement of the rehabilitation.

Ibrahim advised motorists travelling from Lagos to consider alternative routes, including the Ikorodu-Ogijo Road and Shimawa Bridge.

He also suggested that motorists travelling from Lagos to Abeokuta could use the old road to reduce pressure on the expressway.

He said motorists should pay attention to warning signs to be installed at least two kilometres from the construction site and slow down when approaching the affected area.

“This is a very busy road, and I know that any little infraction could lead to severe traffic congestion along the road. That is why motorists are advised to take alternative routes,” Ibrahim said.

He appealed to motorists to exercise caution and cooperate with traffic management agencies throughout the two-week exercise.

The rehabilitation is expected to affect only a limited section of the busy expressway, with traffic allowed to move through the construction zone under controlled conditions.