It takes at least half an hour to cross Basin Bridge during rush hour every day.
The bridge, a crucial link for areas in north Chennai, gets choked in all directions as vehicles move at a snail’s pace, say road users. Office-goers mostly bear the brunt of the chaos.
Every day, vehicles start queuing up around 9 a.m. Motorists coming from any direction towards Basin Bridge junction spend an average of 20 to 30 minutes on the bridge, says a road user.
The congestion lasts till noon, sometimes even up to 2 p.m. And from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. it is as bad, they complain.
“I start from Sathyamurthy Nagar by 9.40 a.m. By the time I reach the Basin Bridge junction, there is a traffic jam already, and vehicles move inch by inch. I take the right arm of the Bridge to reach Basin Elephant Gate Road, and this takes at least 20 to 30 minutes,” said N. Umapathy, a resident of Sathyamurthy Nagar.
As vehicles fight for space on the bridge, motorists drive recklessly on pavements that are already damaged.
“Vehicles from any direction — whether from Mint or Walltax Road or Vyasarpadi or Demellows Road or Pulianthope definitely get caught in the jam on Basin Bridge during peak hours,” he said.
The traffic chaos is nothing new, says Muthu, a resident of Mullai Nagar.
“This has been the case for the last two years. Office-goers are the worst-hit. Many of them take the bridge to reach Parrys and Central and are getting delayed,” he said.
Diversion to blame
Mohan, an auto driver, attributed the regular traffic jams to diversion of vehicles after the Elephant Gate Bridge near Salt Cotaurs was closed for traffic. “The bridge was closed following repairs nearly two years ago and only two-wheelers ply on it now. As a result, buses, lorries and cars that used to ply via Elephant Gate are diverted through Basin Bridge, which is why it gets choked every day,” he said. Dharmendran, another auto driver, said this was taking a toll on their daily trips too.
A traffic policeman said that at times vehicles get stranded up to the new flyover at Vyasarpadi.
“The traffic movement on Basin Bridge will ease only after the Elephant Gate Bridge is opened for traffic again,” he said.
A senior traffic police officer also said the main problem was due to the closure of Elephant Gate bridge.
“If that is opened, the fish carts and bullock carts will take the route. Now, as these slow moving vehicles are diverted, traffic movement on Basin Bridge is affected. Southern Railway should complete the work on the Elephant Gate bridge at the earliest to ease traffic,” he said.