Peak Sankranti travel: Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway faces gridlock

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway was crowded with vehicles on Sunday as thousands of families travelled to their native towns for Sankranti, the biggest festival in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Cars, buses, and other transport vehicles queued at toll plazas despite authorities taking special measures to ease congestion.

A heavy rush was reported at Pattangi toll plaza near Hyderabad from the early hours, with commuters heading to towns and villages in Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

With a week-long holiday for educational institutions, families packed their bags and many opted for personal transport. The national highway was chock-a-block.

Authorities opened additional gates at Pattangi and said the FASTag system was helping vehicles move more smoothly. Toll plaza staff reported that 70,000 vehicles passed from Telangana to Andhra Pradesh between 6 pm on Saturday and 6 am on Sunday. Numbers are expected to rise throughout the day.

Travel times have slowed considerably. Journeys that normally take an hour from Hyderabad to Pattangi now take 3-4 hours, with kilometre-long jams reported.

Patrolling vehicles, cranes, and ambulances were deployed at Pattangi, Korlapahad, and Chillakallu toll plazas. Road construction at Peddakaparthy and Chityala in Nalgonda district added to the congestion. Police urged motorists to use alternate routes to Vijayawada via Bhongir. Top officials, including Yadadri Bhuvanagiri SP, were supervising traffic flow.

In Suryapet district, police diverted vehicles bound for Khammam and Rajahmundry through alternate routes. Parts of Hyderabad and its outskirts witnessed heavy traffic until late Saturday night. A large jam occurred at Nandigama in NTR district, caused by roadwork at the Y Junction.

The Telangana government requested Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to allow toll-free movement on the highway during the Sankranti festival from January 9 to 18. Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy noted that traffic surges by 200 per cent during the festive season. He directed officials to implement a proactive plan to ensure smooth travel.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad’s railway and bus stations were packed with passengers. Families headed to their native towns to celebrate Sankranti on January 14, with children enjoying rural festivities like kite flying, bullock-cart races, cockfights, and field visits.

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) is operating 6,431 special buses on January 9, 10, 12, 13, 18 and 19 to various destinations in Telangana and neighbouring states such as Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Special arrangements, including shamianas, chairs, and mobile toilets, have been made at key boarding points like MGBS, JBS, LB Nagar, Uppal, Aram Ghar, KPHB, Bowenpally, and Gachibowli.

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is running 8,432 special buses, with 6,000 services within Andhra Pradesh and 2,432 on inter-state routes to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai.

Every year, an estimated 20 lakh people from Hyderabad and surrounding areas return home for Sankranti, mostly to coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema. The festival allows city dwellers, including tech professionals, students, and government employees, to reconnect with their roots and enjoy traditional rural celebrations.

IANS