Lagos Apapa-Oshodi Expressway will be partially closed to traffic for 120 days

The Lagos state governor announced on 16 October 2008 that the city's Apapa-Oshodi Expressway will be partially closed to traffic for 120 days beginning on 23 October. The closure is scheduled to allow for repairs to the road, which has deteriorated in quality in recent years, and for the construction of an overhead bridge linking Okota with Itire. The closure is expected to significantly affect economic activity and travel in Lagos, as the expressway services the country's two biggest seaports -- Apapa and Tincan -- and also links Murtala Mohammed International Airport (DNMM/LOS) with the city center. Security personnel will be posted around the bridge to help direct diverted traffic. Motorists are urged to plan alternate routes during this time, but should be aware that the areas through which the detours will run have notoriously high crime rates; carjacking is particularly common, and motorists should, therefore, take all the necessary safety precautions.