Motorists and long-distance commuters faced severe travel delays on Sunday morning after a major traffic gridlock immobilized vehicles for over three hours along the busy Lagos–Benin Expressway, specifically between Ovia Bridge and Okada Junction.
Heavy-duty articulated vehicles and long-haul trailers made up a significant portion of the stranded traffic, as many drivers who had departed Benin City early in the morning were caught in the standstill.
Mechanical breakdowns and indiscriminate parking
The gridlock worsened throughout the morning due to a combination of accidents, vehicular breakdowns, and poor driving practices along the corridor:
Breakdowns and crashes: Several heavy vehicles suffered mechanical failures while navigating the stretch, while a road crash further blocked key lanes.
Indiscriminate roadside parking: Drivers pointed out that several truck drivers parked along the road shoulders overnight and failed to move early enough, restricting the movement of oncoming traffic.
Impatience and lane discipline: Dozens of drivers attempted to bypass the queue by driving against oncoming traffic, creating a severe bottleneck that locked up both sides of the highway.
Infrastructure bottlenecks: Motorists highlighted a badly damaged section of the expressway near Tipper Garage around the Okada axis as a primary trigger for recurring gridlock.
Drivers call for enforcement and urgent road repairs
Frustrated commuters and commercial drivers urged state and federal authorities to take immediate measures to restore order and repair the damaged infrastructure.
Akanni, a long-distance driver stranded in the queue, expressed frustration over the lack of discipline among peers who park haphazardly along the highway.
Another motorist, Chukwu, who had waited out an earlier traffic warning near Oluku, criticized regulatory bodies for failing to enforce lane discipline and proper roadside parking laws.
He urged the Edo State Government and relevant federal authorities to immediately rehabilitate the degraded sections around Okada.
FRSC responds to traffic management concerns
Addressing the incident, the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Preye Bedford, explained that officers are regularly dispatched to monitor high-density spots along the corridor.
Bedford noted that while patrol teams are not permanently stationed at Okada Junction, operational units near Ofosu and surrounding sectors are deployed every two days or whenever breakdowns and accidents are reported. He urged road users to maintain patience, adhere strictly to lane rules, and avoid driving against traffic to prevent preventable gridlocks.
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