By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: A severe traffic jam paralysed the Mahatma Gandhi Bridge from Tuesday evening to Wednesday morning due to multiple vehicle breakdowns. The congestion began when a truck broke down near pillar number 12 and another four-wheeler halted near pillar number 30 on the eastern lane, blocking traffic from Hajipur to Patna. The bridge’s eastern lane quickly became congested as vehicles were unable to move past these points.
In addition, another truck broke down near the passenger shed on the opposite lane going from Patna to Hajipur, leading to a lengthy queue of vehicles. Vaishali district police and traffic police worked through the morning, using cranes to remove the stalled vehicles to the side. Vehicle movement resumed gradually once the broken-down vehicles were cleared, though congestion continued for over two hours as traffic could only pass through one lane.
Due to the breakdown near the passenger shed, traffic from Patna to Hajipur was also slowed, and one-way movement was temporarily enforced. Passengers travelling from Hajipur experienced further delays near pillars 45-46 on the eastern lane. The bridge and surrounding National Highway were particularly congested due to increased travel for the Kartik Purnima and Harihar Kshetra Mela festivities.
DSP of Traffic, Anil Kumar, reported that additional police personnel have been deployed to maintain the steady flow of vehicles on the bridge and surrounding highways.
