CHENNAI: The mass return of passengers to Chennai after the Pongal festival holidays led to severe traffic congestion on the Tiruchy–Chennai National Highway, with vehicles crawling from Sunday evening till Monday morning (Jan 19).

Thousands of vehicles heading towards Chennai were caught in traffic snarls that stretched through the night, delaying commuters travelling to schools, colleges and offices on Monday.

Government buses, private omni buses, cars, vans, auto-rickshaws and two-wheelers flooded the stretch, resulting in traffic moving at a snail’s pace. The congestion was particularly severe near Mamandur and Pukkathurai in the Madurantakam area of Chengalpattu district, where ongoing flyover construction reduced road space.

Heavy congestion was also reported between Chengalpattu and Tambaram, with a traffic pile-up of nearly three kilometres near Singaperumal Koil. Similar scenes were witnessed near the Kilambakkam bus terminal, Vandalur Zoo, Perungalathur flyover, Irumbuliyur and Tambaram.

Traffic police sources said one of the main reasons for the chaos was the practice of government and private buses stopping on the highway itself to drop passengers at places such as Kilambakkam, Perungalathur and Tambaram, instead of moving to designated bays. This blocked traffic flow and triggered long tailbacks.

Adding to the problem, large crowds of passengers who arrived by buses and trains from southern districts gathered near the Tambaram bus stand in the early hours, standing on the road while waiting for city buses, autos and share autos, further choking the highway.

Though the police had imposed restrictions on the movement of heavy vehicles and announced alternative traffic arrangements during the festival season, these measures were only partially effective during the outbound travel from Chennai. Officials admitted that the arrangements were not fully enforced during the return rush, resulting in widespread hardship for commuters.