Commuters are in a state of distress due to severe traffic congestion on the Ernakulam-Thrissur National Highway. According to Malayalam media reports, the traffic jam that formed on the Mannuthy-Edappally stretch has exceeded 15 hours.
The traffic situation is such that there is a long line of vehicles on the highway struggling to move ahead. Vehicles, including freight carriers that have arrived from distant places, are stuck. Those heading to the airport, as well as people en route to hospitals, are among those affected by the situation. Weddings, funeral ceremonies, and other time-bound social events are also affected as people are stranded in their cars in the middle of the road.
On Friday night, a lorry carrying timber en route to Perumbavoor from Pattambi fell into a pit and overturned on the service road in Muriyngoor, near the site of ongoing underpass construction, Manorama Online said in a report. While those inside the lorry escaped unhurt, logs of timber fell onto the main road causing a traffic obstruction. The police, fire and rescue services were joined by local residents in an effort to clear the road of the giant wood logs for traffic to be restored, the news report said.
Although traffic was restored after the lorry accident, the congestion worsened again as hours went by, local reports said. The traffic became severe on the road from Chalakudy towards Ernakulam. The poor condition of the road and the lack of alternate facilities in the underpass construction area exacerbated the situation.
While the construction of flyovers and underpasses is ongoing, commuters rely on service roads for travel. However, the very poor condition of these service roads also contributes to traffic congestion.
