The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has disclosed that ongoing repair works on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway will take between six weeks and two months to complete, citing the technical nature of the repairs and the need for proper curing time.
The Lagos State Sector Commander of the Corps, Ganiyu Hamzat, made this known during an interview on Thursday, explaining that consultations with the contractor and the Controller of Works informed the revised timeline.
According to Hamzat, several deteriorated sections of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway have become accident-prone, as motorists attempting to evade damaged spots or oncoming vehicles often end up colliding with one another.
He said the situation has led to avoidable crashes, making urgent intervention unavoidable.
The Lagos FRSC boss admitted that progress on the repairs had initially been slower than anticipated. “Since work has now started, we observed that if we continue at the pace initially adopted, it will take about twice the time originally scheduled. As a result, we decided to re-strategise,” he explained.
As part of the new strategy, Hamzat said construction teams would now repair two expansion joints simultaneously instead of working on one at a time.
This approach, he noted, is aimed at reducing repeated traffic disruptions for motorists. “It is better to face the inconvenience once rather than suffer it in bits from one section to another,” he said.
The FRSC commander also identified overloading by heavy-duty vehicles as a major contributor to the rapid deterioration of the road, stressing the need for functional weigh bridges to protect federal highways from premature damage.
He added that advanced, high-grade chemicals are being deployed in the repair process to accelerate curing, reducing the reopening period of repaired sections to about seven days.
Hamzat confirmed that work has already been completed on one side of Kara Bridge, with both sides of the bridge now scheduled for simultaneous repairs.
He expressed optimism that once this phase is completed, the inward Lagos stretch of the expressway would be fully restored, significantly easing traffic for motorists heading into the metropolis.
The sector commander said the FRSC is working closely with other agencies, including the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the Nigeria Police Force and the military, to ensure traffic control and safety during the repair period.
He appealed to motorists to exercise patience, describing the temporary inconvenience as necessary for long-term safety and smoother traffic flow.
Hamzat also issued a stern warning against driving against traffic, commonly known as one-way driving, stressing that offenders would be sanctioned and prosecuted where necessary.
“We cannot ignore this situation or continue to witness crashes. The problem must be confronted decisively,” he said, assuring road users that the measures in place would ultimately deliver a safer and more efficient expressway.