LAGOS on Saturday witnessed an unprecedented gridlock as rehabilitation work commenced on the ever-busy Third Mailand Bridge.
The heavy traffic jam spilled over to neighbouring states like Ogun and Oyo, as thousands of vehicles coming to the nation�s commercial centre got trapped.
Indeed, there was confusion in many parts of the metropolis and adjoining cities following the gridlock that began as early as 8am in the midst of an early morning rain.
The level of frustration was such that most motorists were in a dilemma on whether to continue with their journey or call it off since virtually all roads in the city, particularly leading to the bridge, were blocked.
The situation led to most motorists going out of Lagos to divert to Ikorodu in order to link the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at Sagamu, and the Lagos-Ore-Benin Road through Sagamu and Ijebu Ode, by the Itoikin-Ejinrin Road.
Our correspondent observed that vehicular movements within Ikorodu township was completely paralysed as a result of the heavy traffic.
The situation was compounded by the deplorable state of the Ikorodu-Sagamu Road, where on ordinary days, the residents and users have been experiencing great difficulties, especially from the Ile Epo Oba area to the Lagos State Polytechnic.
Commuters along the Ikorodu Road, Lagos, had a hectic time owing to long vehicular queues, which resulted in the disruption of socio-economic activities. The traffic stretched from Maryland to the Carriage end of the road, making transporters drive to Oworonsoki Road.
Worst hit by the gridlock were the Maryland, Ogolonto to Carriage Bus stop.
Frustrated, most passengers disembarked from vehicles and made their way home with motor cycles, popularly called okada.
A trip on an okada from Ikorodu to Ketu, attracted a fare of N300 for a single passenger and between N150 and N200 for two passengers; but the journey was fraught with dangers of being knocked down by vehicles.
Our correspondents, who monitored the situation, noted that the chaotic traffic situation was as a result of a combination of factors, ranging from the anticipated closure of a section of the Third Mainland Bridge, the blockade of a portion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at Ogere by protesting tanker drivers, and the deplorable state of most of the other roads in the metropolis.
The partial closure of the TMB led to serious traffic jams on the bridge and the alternate roads, including Western Avenue, Oshodi-Oworonsoki Expressway, Ikorodu Road and Ojodu/Berger-Oworonsoki Expressway, as well as internal link roads.
Thousands of motorists moving out of Lagos to other parts of the country, through the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, were stranded as a result of the blockade by tanker drivers at Ogere in Ogun State.
The drivers were protesting the seizure of some of their vehicles by the Ogun State Government, which had consistently warned them against parking indiscriminately by the sides of the expressway. It had also provided a modern park with accommodation facilities for them, but the drivers refused to use the facilities on the premise that the charges were too much.
Saturday�s blockade of the road, apparently took the state government by surprise because a day earlier, a peace meeting, in which the state Commissioner of Police had told the drivers that their seized vehicles would be released without them paying any penalty, was held.
A motorist travelling to Ile Ife in Osun State, Mr. Felix Babatunde, told our correspondent, �What kind of country are we that some people have turned themselves into the law?
As the repair commenced on Saturday, many Lagosians expressed their mixed feelings to our correspondent, who went to monitor the situation.
It has worsened traffic jam, which characterised the city, as motorists manoeuvred through different routes to link CMS.
The Chief Executive Officer, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Mr. Young Arebamen, said the problem provided an opportunity for the agencies to explore other ways to handle the traffic situation.
He said that a link road between the junction and Murtala Muhammed Way, Yaba, was already being created to ensure a free flow of traffic from the bridge into the area.
Stakeholders comprising officials of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Federal Road Safety Commission, Nigeria Police, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, and transport groups, had met several times to map out plans to ensure minimal distruption to traffic flow throughout the period.
The Federal Controller of Works for South West, Mr. Tunde Ekunsumi, had said, �The bridge will be partially closed at the Adekunle exit and the Lagos in-bound traffic will be diverted to Lagos out-bound carriageway until the Adeniji Adele exit when the traffic will be diverted back to follow its normal course. This situation will be in the morning hours between 5am and 12noon.�