A trailer accident has caused severe traffic congestion along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, leaving motorists stranded for hours and forcing some to seek alternative routes.

The accident reportedly occurred around 1am on Tuesday when the trailer fell across the expressway and had not been removed as of Tuesday morning.

With only one lane available for vehicles to pass through, traffic quickly built up as more motorists arrived at the affected section.

An eyewitness said vehicles had remained almost stationary since the trailer crashed, with the growing number of cars making the situation increasingly difficult.

Some motorists resorted to using inner roads and bush paths to escape the gridlock. The diversion subsequently created additional congestion around Mowe and Ofada as more vehicles moved onto alternative routes.

The prolonged traffic left many motorists stranded for several hours, while the congestion continued to worsen.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority confirmed that the accident had obstructed traffic flow along the expressway and said efforts were underway to restore normal movement.

Traffic officials said the crash occurred on the outbound carriageway around Sinowa and was further complicated by motorists attempting to cross into the opposite section of the expressway.

Traffic management personnel were deployed to the area to control the situation and ease the congestion.

TRACE, the Federal Road Safety Corps and the police were also deployed to assist with traffic management and restore normal movement.

Motorists were advised to remain patient, obey traffic instructions, avoid driving against traffic and maintain proper lane discipline.

Alternative routes were also recommended, including the Old Lagos-Sango-Ifo-Ewekoro-Abeokuta Expressway, the Sagamu-Sotubo-Ogijo-Ikorodu Expressway and the Ijebu-Ode-Epe Expressway.

As of Tuesday morning, traffic was still building up along both sides of the expressway, with the situation worsened by motorists diverting through inner roads and bush paths.