Lakkar Bridge closure triggers traffic jam, commuters get stuck for hours

Residents and commuters faced major inconvenience on Tuesday as the Lakkar Bridge flyover was shut down to traffic due to maintenance work. With traffic from Kailash Chowk, Vrindavan Road and adjoining areas diverted towards the Domoria Bridge, long queues of vehicles were witnessed during peak hours, starting around 9.30 am.

Traffic on the Domoria Bridge remained jammed for nearly two to three hours, with vehicles from Deepak Cinema Road, Mata Rani Chowk, Vrindavan Road and Kailash Chowk converging at the same point. The situation worsened in the absence of traffic police during the morning hours. Two-wheelers, four-wheelers and auto-rickshaws struggled for space which led to many accidents.

Adding to the chaos, several vehicles were seen driving on the wrong side of the bridge, leading to frequent traffic snarls and loud honking. The short stretch of about half a kilometre took commuters more than an hour to cross.

Residents and nearby shopkeepers expressed anger over the poor traffic management, saying this was one of the busiest parts of the city, connecting interior areas, Mata Rani Chowk and Jalandhar Bypass. They demanded that such maintenance work either be completed swiftly or with proper diversion plans in place.

Survinder Singh, a shopkeeper, said he was stuck in the jam for nearly an hour with no sign of movement. “This is criminal negligence on the part of the authorities as lakhs of residents and commuters are suffering due to the non-functional Lakkar Overbridge,” he rued.