Rows of vehicles seen lining up on GST Road near Singaperumal Koil on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: Deepa H. Ramakrishnan
Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road was clogged on Sunday as thousands of vehicles, especially two-wheelers and cars, returned to the city after Pongal celebrations. The rush started in the morning, and traffic jams were witnessed on several locations, including Singaperumal Koil, Madurantakam, and Tambaram.
Parasuraman, a resident of Ponvilaindakalathur, said that they avoided getting on GST Road even for shopping during Pongal. “We live 3 km from Chengalpattu town, which is our shopping hub. But the traffic on the national highway made us think twice,” he said.
On Sunday afternoon, interior roads of Chengalpattu town became unusually busy. “People who know the route to Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) and East Coast Road (ECR) via Chengalpattu town and Thiruporur used the interior roads. Those who did not were stuck in traffic on GST Road. Motorists who wanted to take GST Road from Chengalpattu-Thiruporur Road were forced to wait till the traffic cleared on the stretch. The traffic will only worsen at night, with more people rushing back to re-join work on Monday,” said James, a resident of Chengalpattu.
Attendants who have been manning the toll plazas in Paranur, Athur, and Vikravandi looked haggard owing to the higher-than-usual workload. “Traffic has been quite heavy in Athur. The long waiting times at the plazas is not because of a lack of FAStags but due to the sheer volume of vehicles passing through. Two-wheelers are sent via the corner lanes to keep the others open for buses and private vehicles,” said a source at the Athur plaza.
Murugesan, who used GST Road from Chennai on Sunday evening, said the traffic was heavy and moved slowly. “Though I can see the Vikravandi toll plaza from here, it will take me at least another 30 minutes to even reach it. I have been shifting between the first and second gears, which is making the whole experience of going home very tiring.”
Two-wheeler riders were seen waiting all along the road, taking breaks before continuing the tiring journey. A retired Highways engineer said it would be good if the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) could open more rest areas for families to take breaks. “A few concrete benches and a clean water source will be refreshing. Instead, people can be seen leaning on crash barriers,” he added.
Published – January 18, 2026 08:10 pm IST
