The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has announced that ongoing repair works on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway will take between six weeks and two months to complete.

The Lagos State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Ganiyu Hamzat, disclosed this on Thursday during an interview, explaining that the timeline was agreed after consultations with the contractor and the Controller of Works.

“Following discussions with the contractor and the Controller of Works, it was agreed that a period of about six weeks to a maximum of two months will be used to complete the work. Some of these repairs need time to properly seal,” he said.

Hamzat noted that several damaged sections of the highway have been causing accidents, as motorists attempt to dodge oncoming or unsuspecting vehicles.

“We discovered that some of the bad portions of the road cause vehicles, while trying to dodge oncoming or unsuspecting vehicles, to ram into one another, thereby creating unnecessary accidents,” he said.

He admitted that progress had initially been slower than expected.

“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, and that is what we are doing now,” he explained.

To minimise inconvenience, the agency will now repair two expansion joints simultaneously instead of one.

“Instead of working on one expansion joint at a time, we are now going to work on two expansion joints at a time so that motorists experience the inconvenience once, rather than repeatedly from one section to another. It is better to face it head-on,” he said.

Hamzat identified overloading as a major cause of the road’s deterioration and called for the use of weigh bridges to prevent heavy vehicles from prematurely damaging the expressway.

He added that advanced chemicals are being used to accelerate curing time, reducing the period to about seven days before repaired sections are reopened to traffic.

According to him, work has already been completed on one side of the Kara Bridge, and both sides will now be repaired simultaneously.

“By the time this phase is completed, the inward Lagos section of the expressway will be finished, allowing motorists coming into Lagos to heave a sigh of relief,” he said.

Hamzat noted that the FRSC is collaborating with other agencies, including the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), the police, and the military, and urged motorists to endure the temporary inconvenience for long-term safety benefits.

“We cannot ignore this situation or continue to witness crashes. The problem must be confronted decisively,” he stressed.

He also warned against driving against traffic.

“This is a warning, not an appeal. Anyone caught driving against traffic will be appropriately penalised and, if necessary, prosecuted in a court of competent jurisdiction.”

He acknowledged that construction work inevitably causes discomfort, but said the measures would ultimately ensure smoother traffic flow and safer roads.