Flood on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway Long Bridge leaves drivers stranded

The Lagos-Ibadan Expressway’s Long Bridge end was flooded on Monday as a result of a downpour that hit parts of the states of Lagos and Ogun. This left drivers and commuters stuck in the gridlock created by the slow-moving traffic on the bridge as they attempted to reach their destinations in the states.

One of the trapped drivers, who identified himself only as Bakare, claimed that the traffic congestion brought on by the floodwater on the bridge caused him to travel for hours when it should have taken him only a few minutes.

He said, “The gridlock was terrible; it was not easy because of the volume of the flood on the bridge which affected the movements of vehicles. The flood can damage vehicles and I saw some vehicles had broken down on the bridge.

“I encountered the gridlock on the bridge around 4pm on my way to work and I got out of it around 6.31pm. The flood was on the bridge because the openings to drain the flood had been blocked.”

Vehicles were observed travelling slowly on the submerged bridge to avoid accidents in a viral video shot by an unidentified person who was traveling the bridge on Monday.

In the video titled ‘Warning, Long Bridge is flooded, slow down’, our correspondent observed that the floodwater rose to the level of the barricades at both sides of the bridge, indicating that the bridge had no outlet to empty the floodwater occasioned by the torrential rainfall.

Due to the circumstance, main city routes became congested, trapping many commuters and drivers for hours.

The National Emergency Management Agency issued an advisory warning residents, motorists, teachers, and school administrators, among others, on the need to exercise restraint during and after the downpour. The rain, which began around midday in some parts of the city, was still falling at the time.

In the meantime, the Ogun State Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, requested that residents temporarily relocate in order to prevent the loss of life and property due to flooding in 23 flood-prone communities, including Akute Isheri, Mowe, Ibafo, and other border communities between Lagos and Ogun States.

He said, “The second season will have a prolonged impact in wetlands such as Alagbole, Akute, Isheri, Warewa, Oke-Afa, Mowe, Ibafo, Kara, Onihale, Ebute Kimobi and Riverside Estate. These areas will witness coastal flooding due to the tidal lock of the Ogun River by Lagos Lagoon from the natural rise in sea level coupled with the possible release of excessive water from the Oya dam. Residents of these areas should be prepared to relocate temporarily from these areas during the second season of rainfall if required.”