The Hyderabad–Vijayawada National Highway continues to witness severe traffic congestion as the Sankranti festival travel rush entered its fourth consecutive day on Monday. What began as a steady increase in holiday traffic on Friday has escalated into an unprecedented gridlock, with officials estimating that more than four lakh vehicles have used the route over the past four days.

Several critical choke points have intensified the crisis, particularly near Chityal and Pedda Kaparthi, where underpass bridge construction has narrowed the highway. These bottlenecks have resulted in long queues stretching for several kilometres, significantly slowing vehicular movement in both directions.

Commuters are also facing prolonged delays while passing through major town crossings at Choutuppal, Kattangur, and Suryapet. Heavy local traffic combined with festive travel has created severe tailbacks, testing the patience of travellers heading home for the holiday celebrations.

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In an effort to manage the surge, toll plaza authorities have taken emergency measures to ease traffic flow. At the Pantangi toll plaza, 11 out of 16 booths have been reserved exclusively for Vijayawada-bound vehicles. Similarly, six of the 12 booths at the Korlapadu toll plaza have been dedicated to handling the festive traffic rush.

Police have deployed additional personnel and are using drones to monitor congestion in real time and coordinate traffic diversions where possible. However, officials have cautioned that the volume of vehicles remains extremely high and that congestion is unlikely to ease immediately.

With Sankranti festivities approaching, authorities expect heavy traffic to continue until at least Tuesday. Travellers have been advised to plan journeys carefully, consider alternate routes where possible, and prepare for extended delays on one of the state’s busiest highway corridors.

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