Chennai, Sept 12:
The festival holiday rush triggered severe traffic congestion on the GST Road, with vehicles caught in a massive snarl on the stretch from Tambaram towards Chengalpattu.
The traffic was particularly heavy around the Vandalur-Kilambakkam area, as hundreds of vehicles headed towards the southern districts. With families leaving Chennai for their native places for the holiday, the volume of cars, buses and other vehicles increased considerably.
The congestion extended along the GST Road towards Chengalpattu, leaving motorists travelling at a snail’s pace. Long queues of vehicles were seen at several stretches, causing considerable delays for passengers.
The rush was also felt around Kilambakkam, where the movement of long-distance buses and private vehicles added to the pressure on the road. Kilambakkam is a key southern gateway from Chennai and is located along the GST Road between Vandalur and Urapakkam.
The heavy flow of vehicles continued from the night and into the morning, with motorists spending considerably more time than usual to cross the congested stretches.
Traffic police were deployed at important junctions to regulate vehicle movement and clear bottlenecks. However, the sheer volume of vehicles resulted in traffic moving slowly for long stretches.
The congestion on the GST Road once again highlighted the pressure on the city’s southern exit during festival and extended holiday periods, when thousands of people travel from Chennai towards Chengalpattu and the southern districts.