Chennai Traffic Update: Southern Suburbs Hit by Heavy Congestion as Voters Return
Parts of Chennai came to a standstill as thousands of people returned to the city after voting in the State Assembly elections. The heavy travel rush caused massive traffic congestion across southern suburbs from Sunday night to Monday morning.
Highway Traffic Comes to a Halt
The Tiruchy–Chennai National Highway witnessed severe traffic jams due to the sudden increase in vehicles.
The situation worsened near Madurantakam in Chengalpattu district, where ongoing flyover construction slowed traffic movement, forcing vehicles to move inch by inch for several hours.
Heavy congestion was also reported in:
- Singaperumal Koil
- Guduvancheri
- Kilambakkam
- Tambaram
Passengers and drivers faced long delays and travel fatigue.
Kilambakkam Bus Terminus Adds to Congestion
The situation became more chaotic near the Kilambakkam bus terminus, where buses from southern districts were dropping passengers on the roadside. Large crowds crossing the highway increased traffic disruption.
Authorities later instructed buses to enter the terminus directly instead of stopping outside.
Diversions Implemented but Not Effective
Traffic police introduced several diversions to control the situation:
- Heavy vehicles were rerouted via Walajabad – Kancheepuram – Sriperumbudur
- Vehicles were advised to use Oragadam–Sriperumbudur road
- Travellers from coastal districts were asked to take ECR and OMR routes
However, these measures were not fully followed, leading to overnight traffic congestion.
Flight Fares Surge Due to Travel Rush
The heavy return rush also led to a sharp rise in flight ticket prices:
- Madurai to Chennai fares increased up to ₹32,508
- Thoothukudi to Chennai rose to ₹17,089
- Tiruchy to Chennai went up to ₹14,310
- Coimbatore to Chennai increased to ₹11,149
Despite high prices, tickets were quickly booked as people rushed back to work after the weekend.
