Travelers on the Delhi-Chandigarh arterial route faced a harrowing time today as the highway struggled to handle a surge in weekend tourist traffic.
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The Weekend Rush: With clear weather predicted for the mountains, a record number of private cars and luxury tourist buses departed from Delhi and Gurugram early Saturday morning. This resulted in a saturation of NH-44 by midday.
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Key Bottlenecks:
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Panipat Elevated Highway: Heavy congestion was reported at the entry and exit points of the elevated stretch.
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Karnal Bypass: Local traffic merging with highway commuters created a 5-km long queue.
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Toll Plazas: Despite FASTag, the sheer volume of vehicles led to significant wait times at the Murthal and Bastara toll plazas.
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Contributing Factors: Apart from the tourist volume, the seasonal morning fog forced vehicles to move at a slower pace, which had a cascading effect on traffic flow throughout the day. Minor fender-benders due to low visibility further aggravated the situation.
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Advisory for Travelers: The Highway Patrol has advised commuters to use the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE) or consider alternate routes via Rohtak-Jind if traveling toward Upper Punjab or North Himachal. Travelers are also urged to check Google Maps for real-time “Red Zones” before starting their journey.
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Police Action: “We have cancelled leaves for highway personnel this weekend. Our primary focus is clearing the bottlenecks at major intersections and ensuring that broken-down vehicles are towed away immediately,” said a senior Traffic Police official in Sonipat.
