Residents of Lagos State have shared their frustration over the unbearable stress they experienced navigating the gridlock on Victoria Island while returning from work.
Lagos has experienced severe traffic congestion due to the ongoing closure of the Independence Bridge for repair work.
The Lagos State Government had earlier announced that the Independence (McEwen) Bridge would remain closed from Wednesday, March 19th, to Monday, May 26th, 2025. However, the impact of the closure was most strongly felt by motorists today.
Drivers opted for alternative routes, including the Five Cowrie (Falomo) Bridge and the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge, but traffic from these routes spilled over onto the Third Mainland Bridge, creating widespread gridlocks.
The most affected areas include Akin Adesola and Ozumba Mbadiwe Streets on Victoria Island, Alfred Rewane (Kingsway) Road, Awolowo Road, Alexander Avenue, Gerard Road, and Bourdillon Roads in Ikoyi, as well as Admiralty Way, Freedom Way, and the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lekki.
The situation has sparked discussions on social media, where users have posted videos and images capturing the extended traffic jam.
Reacting to the traffic, one X user, Juddywizard, believes that this has to be the craziest traffic jam he has experienced in the State.
He wrote, "This Lagos traffic has to be one of the craziest I have seen happen in years. Wasn’t this bad when they close the third mainland bridge. People left their office since 5pm and are still stuck in traffic past 1am in ikoyi"
This Lagos traffic has to be one of the craziest I have seen happen in years. Wasn’t this bad when they close the third mainland bridge. People left their office since 5pm and are still stuck in traffic past 1am in ikoyi🥶 pic.twitter.com/l7S5WQ6A7H
— JD (@Juddywizard) April 3, 2025
Another user, @olajideobe, "I'm finally settled in my bed after a hectic day in Lagos traffic today. I walked 5.24km tonight just to get home. We had to park the car somewhere safe and started walking home.
The craziest thing is that sirens are still blaring loudly on the roads as I was typing this message. Everywhere is still completely blocked. Many people living on the mainland should just forget about getting home tonight. Their best bet is to go back to their offices to sleep or better still to find a cheap hotel to pass the night.
Even policemen who were escorts to some supposed VIPs were brazenly driving against the traffic with their sirens. Now here is my concern. What if there was an emergency which is a matter of life and death? How will the situation be salvaged for the person in the dire emergency situation? Nigeria is an irredeemably lawless country. I can't wait for Friday to come so I can run back to my quieter Ibadan."
@manlikefola_, wrote, "Wait o I wan ask something, una wey dey that Lagos traffic till 1am go still go work this morning?"
@HouseOfPundit, wrote, "First time I’m sleeping in Lagos traffic!
#lagostraffic #Lagos #Traffic"
@damilolalice, wrote, "This has to be the worst traffic in the history of Lagos Nigeria…Been at this since 5:00PM all the way from MARUWA LEKKI, it’s 11:26 right now and I’m presently at CIVIC CENTER"
@daveobada, wrote, "Lagos traffic is the perfect metaphor for life, everyone is in a hurry, nobody is moving, and the ones breaking the rules seem to be getting ahead."
@abazwhyllzz, "If you are not inside Lagos traffic right now,you don’t know what God has done for you."
