The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Commuters stuck in traffic jam on Bangalore highway

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 05, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Commuters stuck in traffic jam on Bangalore highway

Staff Reporter

A cargo truck fell on its side on this busy stretch

BEHEMOTH GROUNDED: A container truck broke down on the Chennai - Bangalore national highway at Maduravoyal in the city's western fringes on Saturday morning. A truck that tried to go around the container fell on its side. The twin problem caused a he avy traffic jam . — PHOTO: K. Pichumani

CHENNAI: Commuters on the Bangalore national highway near Maduravoyal were held up on Saturday morning as a huge cargo truck fell on its side on this busy stretch.

Some people, stuck in the traffic jam, initially thought it was because of the Prime Minister's visit until they arrived at the accident spot. Traffic was held up beyond Koyambedu up to Tiruverkadu and there was no police to regulate the congested roads. Only around 10 a.m. policemen could clear the road.

According to the authorities, a container lorry had broken down early in the morning in the middle of the national highway. The driver of a 10-wheel cargo carrier, who tried to overtake the container lorry from the left side, lost control and the vehicle topped over.

Delay

Many of the commuters had to reschedule their appointments because of this. An ENT surgeon, heading to Sri Ramachandra Medical College in Porur for surgery, was delayed by over 30 minutes and had to postpone the operation. He said: "they have put up boards that the road will be completed in 2007. I have done the same stretch in less than seven minutes in 2002. I have been here for 40 minutes today. Now the traffic has grown ten-fold and the road cannot take such a burden. The concentration is on installing grade separators instead of finishing the roads."

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