Chennai: Those returning from Bengaluru on Sunday were stuck in severe traffic snarls between Ranipet and Poonamallee due to two major reasons: pending bridge work and an AIADMK meet.
Ongoing bridge work at Ratnagiri forced vehicles on the Chennai-Bengaluru national highway to use an alternate road running parallel to the main carriageway. This narrow stretch, already in poor condition, was non-motorable in several sections due to damage caused by recent rain. The state of the road caused massive traffic backup, with vehicle queues stretching more than two kilometres on Sunday morning.
Adding to the congestion, the AIADMK conference held on the city’s outskirts at Poonamallee attracted a large number of party cadre from across the state.
“It took us nearly three hours to cover the 100km between Ranipet and Chennai, and there was barely any patrol by the NHAI or police to manage the traffic,” said Dinesh, a commuter returning to Chennai. “Even ambulances were stuck in the gridlock,” he added.
“They charge 350 as toll for every car, yet the road maintenance is abysmal. The Rathnagiri bridge work has been going on for months and isn’t even halfway done,” said G Ganesh, a trucker who regularly plies this route.
