Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged residents—especially those living outside Victoria Island—to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel, as traffic congestion intensifies following the closure of the Independence Bridge for major rehabilitation.
The bridge, which connects Ikoyi and Victoria Island to Marina, was closed for federal repairs and is expected to remain shut until May 2025, causing ripple effects across key city routes.
“If you don’t have a business to do in Victoria Island in the next two to three weeks, conduct your business via social media, telephone, online meetings… please, you don’t have to come,” Sanwo-Olu told reporters on Thursday.
The governor advised commuters to adjust their travel times to ease peak-hour pressure.
“If you don’t need to come out at 7 o’clock, wait till 10 o’clock… defer your time by two, three hours so that the roads are less congested.”
Drawing comparisons to COVID-era movement restrictions, Sanwo-Olu emphasized the need for collective sacrifice during this period.
To mitigate the gridlock, the state is:
- Considering a counterflow traffic solution, pending a feasibility review
- Redeploying more LASTMA officers to affected areas, with extended working hours
“We’re calling them from other parts of the city… like what we did in November and December, they’ll work till very late at night,” the governor said.
Sanwo-Olu’s message to Lagosians is clear: plan ahead, reduce physical trips, and stay off Victoria Island unless absolutely necessary as the state works toward managing the transportation strain during the bridge repairs.
