If You Are Heading Towards Vijayawada–Hyderabad Highway, Be Prepared for Long Traffic Queues

Heavy traffic congestion was reported on the Vijayawada-Hyderabad national highway on Sunday, January 18, as thousands of travellers began their return journey after celebrating Sankranti in Andhra Pradesh.

The sudden rise in vehicle movement led to long queues at several points along the highway, slowing traffic for hours.

Sankranti travel rush hits national highway

Sankranti is celebrated across Andhra Pradesh over three days, with Bhogi, Makara Sankranti and Kanuma marking the harvest festival. Large numbers of people had travelled from Hyderabad and neighbouring areas to their native places to take part in family gatherings and traditional celebrations.

With the festivities concluding, the return rush picked up early on Sunday. Traffic movement slowed significantly as vehicles heading towards Hyderabad increased sharply, especially during the morning hours.

Long queues reported at Chityala and other stretches

One of the worst-affected stretches was near Chityala, where vehicles were seen lined up for long distances. Commuters reported slow-moving traffic and extended travel times as congestion built up steadily throughout the day.

Apart from Chityala, several other locations along the highway also witnessed traffic bottlenecks due to the heavy inflow of vehicles moving towards Hyderabad. Traffic personnel were deployed at key junctions to manage the situation.

Similar congestion seen during outbound travel

The Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway had witnessed similar congestion last Sunday, January 11, when people were travelling out of the city ahead of the festival. At that time, heavy traffic was reported at the Pantangi Toll Plaza, Nandigama in NTR district, along with other busy stretches.

Authorities had anticipated heavy movement during the festive period, but the volume of vehicles once again exceeded expectations during the return journey.

Office and college reopening adds to traffic pressure

The congestion intensified as employees and students prepared to return to offices and educational institutions on Monday, January 19. With regular schedules resuming after the holiday break, many travellers chose Sunday for their journey back to the city.

Officials have advised motorists to plan their travel carefully and expect delays on the highway until traffic volumes return to normal levels.