Chennai, Apr 27: Following the Assembly elections held across all 234 constituencies on April 23, a large number of residents began returning to Chennai after travelling to their hometowns to cast their votes. With government and private offices resuming operations, highways leading into the city witnessed a massive influx of vehicles, including two-wheelers, cars, vans, auto-rickshaws, government buses, and private omni-buses, resulting in significant congestion. The situation was particularly severe along the GST Road near Singaperumal Koil in Chengalpattu district, on the Trichy-Chennai National Highway, where traffic remained gridlocked for more than an hour, testing the patience of commuters.
Traffic police personnel were deployed in large numbers to regulate vehicle movement and ease bottlenecks at key junctions. However, the sheer volume of returning travellers slowed down traffic flow across multiple stretches. Commuters reported long delays, with some vehicles taking twice the usual time to reach the city. Several passengers, including families and office-goers, were seen stranded in slow-moving traffic under the sweltering heat. Officials said such congestion is typical after major holidays and election days, and advised motorists to plan their travel during non-peak hours. Traffic flow is expected to gradually return to normal as the influx of vehicles reduces over the next couple of days.