Sankranthi Rush Chokes Hyderabad-Vijayawada Highway

On 11 Jan 2025 17:40:14

The festive spirit of Sankranthi has led to an exodus of people from Hyderabad to their hometowns, resulting in massive traffic

The festive spirit of Sankranthi has led to an exodus of people from Hyderabad to their hometowns, resulting in massive traffic jams along the Hyderabad-Vijayawada National Highway (NH-65). Vehicles are stranded for kilometers, with major bottlenecks observed at Pantangi Toll Plaza in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district and Korlapahad Toll Plaza in Nalgonda district. Normally, the highway sees a daily movement of 30,000 to 35,000 vehicles, but the number has surged by an additional 8,000 vehicles daily during the festival season.

The congestion began on Friday evening and has persisted till Saturday morning, with more than 70,000 vehicles leaving Hyderabad towards Andhra Pradesh since then. At the Pantangi toll plaza, ten out of 16 booths have been dedicated for vehicles heading towards Andhra Pradesh, while six are operational for Hyderabad-bound traffic. Similarly, at the Korlapahad toll plaza, seven out of 12 booths are open for Andhra Pradesh-bound traffic. Despite these measures, long queues continue to form as the highway remains the primary route connecting the two Telugu states. Traffic delays have extended travel times significantly. A journey from Dilsukhnagar and LB Nagar to Dandimalkapuram in Choutuppal mandal now takes over an hour.

Additionally, road-widening and repair works along the six-lane stretch up to Dandimalkapuram and further from Malkapuram to Nandigama in Andhra Pradesh, where 17 black spots have been identified, are adding to the woes of motorists. The National Highways Authority (NHA) officials have urged motorists to drive cautiously, especially given the heavy traffic and ongoing road repairs. Toll plaza managers have deployed handheld FASTag scanners to minimize delays and are ensuring vehicles pass through toll gates in under three seconds.

To ease congestion, officials are advising those traveling to destinations like Guntur, Nellore, and Ongole to opt for the Nagarjuna Sagar route instead. However, many motorists continue to rely on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway, leading to persistent jams. With holidays for schools and government offices extending from January 11 to 19, the rush is expected to continue until Sunday evening. Families traveling in personal vehicles and buses are heading to their native villages to celebrate the festival, putting immense pressure on the highway infrastructure.