Road patch work hampers traffic movement in Shimla

Vehicular movement across Shimla, the state capital, came to a grinding halt on Thursday as road restoration and patchwork activities at several locations triggered massive traffic snarls. The city witnessed long queues of vehicles throughout the day, causing severe inconvenience to office-goers, students and daily commuters. Potholes and damaged stretches on key routes, including Khalini-Vikasnagar, Boileauganj-Totu and Sanjauli-Dhalli roads, were being metalled simultaneously, resulting in gridlocks that lasted for hours. Frustrated motorists and bus passengers found themselves stranded amid the chaos, with several reporting delays of up to two hours.

Neelam, a resident of Vikasnagar, said it took her over an hour to travel a short distance. “I had gone to pick up my children from school but got stuck in traffic for hours. Even while returning home, the situation remained the same,” she said.

Aman Thakur, who had travelled from Theog, shared a similar ordeal. “I was supposed to reach Shimla by 11 am to visit a relative at IGMC, but due to the traffic jam, I could only reach around 1 pm,” he said.

Shimla SSP Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi attributed the congestion to the ongoing patchwork being carried out across the town. “The repair work is essential for improving road conditions. However, we are ensuring that the public faces minimal inconvenience and that traffic movement remains as smooth as possible,” he said. Despite police efforts, commuters continued to struggle as the hill town crawled under the burden of repair and rush.