MOHALI: A massive traffic jam crippled the Ambala-Chandigarh National Highway on Tuesday after traffic was diverted from the Amritsar-Delhi GT Road due to extensive security arrangements for the farmers’ proposed Delhi march when highway was closed by Haryana police at Shambhu barrier.The worst congestion was witnessed on the Lehli- Lalru stretch, where vehicles remained stuck in kilometres-long queues for several hours. Trucks, buses, private cars and two-wheelers crawled through the jam, while service lanes along the highway were also packed with traffic.Haryana Police had tightened security on the GT Road in view of the farmers’ Delhi march call. Barricades were erected at several locations, and temporary road closures were put in place using heavy earthmoving machinery.A large police force was deployed to maintain law and order, resulting in the diversion of a significant volume of traffic towards the Ambala-Chandigarh National Highway.Traffic SP Navneet Singh Mahal said, “As Shambhu barrier was closed for forward movement of farmers towards Delhi, the entire traffic was diverted towards Lehli-Lalru highway causing major traffic jam. Our police are deployed at the spot and are managing the flow.”The diversion led to severe congestion on the Lehli- Lalru highway, affecting thousands of commuters, including office-goers, students and local residents.Many motorists attempted to use alternative routes, but these too witnessed heavy traffic due to the increased vehicle load.According to eyewitnesses, traffic began building up in the morning and worsened as the day progressed. By afternoon, the queue of vehicles had stretched for several kilometres, with traffic moving at a snail’s pace.The traffic jam also disrupted emergency services, as ambulances found it difficult to pass through the congested highway. Commuters reported spending hours on the road, with many expressing frustration over the prolonged delays.Rajiv Jain commuting to Delhi said, “Such protests are very disturbing. We were to reach Delhi by 1pm and now we are stuck here for two hours now. Protestors must think about the common man also as they always put them in trouble.”Police personnel were deployed at key intersections to regulate traffic, but the heavy influx of diverted vehicles continued to keep the Lehli- Lalru stretch heavily congested throughout the day.
