New traffic diversions cause congestion on Anna Salai, Cenotaph Road, and beyond

Chaos ensues in Chennai as trial traffic diversions cause gridlock, leaving commuters frustrated and unaware of alternative routes.

At 9.30 a.m. on Monday, Sethu sat helplessly on his motorcycle with his wife and child under the blistering sun, trapped in a gridlock in Kotturpuram. The family had left early from Kelambakkam to reach the Egmore Children’s Hospital for a doctor’s appointment. But thanks to the bumper-to-bumper traffic caused by a traffic diversion trial, they were unable to reach the hospital on time. “We were drenched in sweat, unsure how to even reach the hospital,” Mr. Sethu said, his frustration echoing that of hundreds of commuters caught unprepared by the changes initiated by the traffic police on Sunday.

The chaos had unfolded on the second day, after the Greater Chennai Traffic Police (GCTP) implemented the diversions as part of a three-day trial to facilitate the construction of a four-lane elevated corridor by the Highways Department from Teynampet to Saidapet on Anna Salai. With Monday being the first working day since the diversions came into effect on Sunday, office-goers, patients, and regular commuters found themselves stuck in serpentine traffic lines, particularly on Anna Salai, Cenotaph Road, and Gandhi Mandapam Road.

From Teynampet to Saidapet, vehicles were diverted at the L.R. Swami junction through Cenotaph Road, Turnbulls junction, and Chamiers Road before rejoining Anna Salai at Nandanam. The return route from Saidapet followed a similar rerouting scheme. The G.K. Moopanar Bridge, made one-way from Cenotaph Road, further added to the confusion.

Mohanraj, who was heading to Nungambakkam for a hospital visit with a relative, was left stranded after his vehicle stalled. “We ran out of fuel in the middle of traffic. We had planned to fill petrol en route, but the jam made it impossible for us to reach a fuel outlet,” he said.

From morning to evening, vehicles were queueing up all the way from DMS to Teynampet, with traffic police using loudspeakers and putting up a handful of signboards to manage the crowd. Commuters, however, reported that signage was insufficient and lacked visibility, and many alleged that they were completely unaware of the diversions until they had been rolled out on Sunday.

R. Roopesh of Adyar said his daily commute to T. Nagar via Cenotaph Road now took nearly 50 minutes — up from 30 minutes.

“I’ve decided to start using a longer route through Raja Aannamalai Puram and Eldams Road. The traffic on Cenotaph Road has become unbearable,” he said. Residents from areas such as Nandanam and Kotturpuram also lamented the lack of timely communication. “People are willing to cooperate for infrastructure development,” said S.K.S. Aravindaraj of Nandanam, while adding, “But diversions such as these must be communicated at least a week in advance, with clearly marked alternative routes.”