CHENNAI: With a large number of people returning to Chennai from their native places on Sunday, the Grand Southern Trunk Road witnessed heavy traffic congestion at multiple stretches between Tindivanam and Tambaram.
While the congestion was not continuous, vehicular movement slowed at several points due to the high volume of traffic. It is estimated that around 10 lakh people returned to Chennai on Sunday following a mass outbound movement ahead of the general elections between April 21 and 23.
Traffic snarls stretching 2–3 km were reported near Athur toll plaza, Paranur rail overbridge, the Palar river bridge, and other locations. Many commuters who had travelled to their native places over three to four days attempted to return in a single day, leading to the congestion.
Meanwhile, the transport department announced that buses heading to the Kalaignar Centenary Bus Terminus (KCBT) would not stop along GST Road in front of the facility, and would instead halt only within the terminus to ease congestion.
The department said a total of 14,508 buses were operated across the State on Saturday and Sunday to facilitate the return of commuters to Chennai. Additional services were also operated to cater to passengers from areas outside the city.
Earlier, on April 22 and 23, GST Road witnessed severe congestion lasting nearly 14 hours, particularly along the Vandalur–Tambaram stretch. The bottleneck was largely due to vehicles heading towards KCBT from Chengalpattu taking a U-turn beneath the Vandalur flyover, while others from different directions attempted to enter the terminus.
Vehicles on the service road beneath the flyover also tried to merge at the same entry point, further worsening the situation.
“When Chennai-bound buses, including omni buses, drop passengers opposite KCBT on GST Road, it leads to significant congestion, often extending up to Guduvanchery. Similarly, vehicles approaching KCBT from Tambaram or via the service road beneath the Vandalur flyover face severe bottlenecks,” a traffic police officer said.