Closure of fly-overs on Makar Sankranti causes widespread traffic congestion

 

 

Vehicular traffic restriction on 15 major fly-overs on Wednesday for Makar Sankranti celebrations resulted in widespread traffic congestion across several parts of the city, particularly during peak hours. The fly-overs where traffic remained closed included the Shaheed Gowari fly-over, Sakkardara fly-over, Dighori Fly-over, LIC to Sai Mandir Fly-over on Kamptee Road, Kadbi Chowk-Sadar Aakar Building Fly-over, Dahi Bazaar Fly-over, Fly-over, Ramjhula Fly-over connecting Jaistambh Chowk and LIC Square, Kalpana Talkies Chowk-Mankapur Fly-over, Sadar Fly-over on the Katol Road-Mankapur stretch, Manish Nagar Fly-over on Wardha Road, Wadi Fly-over from Naka No 10 to Wadi Police Station, Kawrapeth Fly-over, Pardi Fly-over and the Harihar Mandir Lakadganj Fly-over. surface conditions marked by gravel and potholes.

 

The road width is already narrow, which further aggravated the mess causing hardships to commuters. Traffic flow was also heavily affected on Wardha Road in the Dhantoli area, particularly on the stretch beneath the Shaheed Gowari fly-over, where vehicles crawled, as the under construction road put additional load on the stretch. A major problem with city traffic is its mixed composition, which slowed traffic movement, occupying substantial road space and delaying clearance. 

 

 

The fly-over closures are enforced annually during Makar Sankranti as nylon manja often remains suspended across roads, posing a serious risk of injuries to two-wheeler riders and pedestrians. This is especially true for fly-overs as they are at an elevated height. Despite a ban on nylon manja, incidents continue to be reported during the festive period. Traffic was restored on all fly-overs around 6 pm after patrolling teams removed stuck kite strings from the structures. Authorities ensured that all fly-overs were cleared of manja before reopening them, allowing vehicles to resume movement safely and smoothly.

 

 

Emergency services were significantly impacted by the congestion. Ambulances faced difficulty navigating through crowded roads due to traffic-jam and presence of heavy vehicles, as they took up more space and were slower to clear out. 

 

 

With these elevated corridors shut, traffic was diverted to adjoining service roads, leading to long queues and slow movement at several junctions. Sadar witnessed severe congestion, with traffic packed along Sadar Bazaar Main Road from Liberty Square, up to Chhaoni T-point. The situation persisted for extended periods as internal roads could not be used effectively due to poor