A severe road accident on the busy Kanpur-Sagar highway triggered a massive traffic snarl that stretched for 25 kilometers and paralyzed the route for nearly 15 hours over the weekend. The gridlock, which began on Saturday night, left hundreds of commuters stranded in biting cold and dense fog before being finally cleared on Sunday afternoon.
Collision Near Shambhua Bridge Sparks Chaos
The crisis originated late on Saturday night near the Shambhua bridge. According to reports, a dumper and a trailer collided in a serious accident. The impact injured both drivers, who were subsequently rushed to a hospital by the Bidhnu police. While the damaged vehicles were moved to the roadside after the collision, the disruption had already begun.
Night, Fog, and Sleeping Drivers Worsen the Snarl
As night descended, a combination of factors turned the initial disruption into a full-blown crisis. Dense fog severely reduced visibility, making navigation perilous. Compounding the problem, many long-haul drivers, finding themselves stuck in an unmoving queue, fell asleep inside their vehicle cabins. This effectively choked the highway, preventing any movement.
By Sunday morning, the traffic jam had ballooned to approximately 25 kilometers in both directions of the highway. A chaotic mix of vehicles, including dumpers, trucks, buses, and private cars, remained immobilized for hours. Commuters endured significant hardship, trapped in their vehicles through the cold night.
Police Intervention and Final Clearance
To manage the situation, ACP Krishnakant Yadav intervened on Sunday. Police teams diverted incoming vehicles to alternative routes to prevent the jam from growing further. Through sustained efforts by the authorities, the logjam was eventually broken and the highway cleared by Sunday afternoon. Vehicle movement then gradually returned to its normal flow, ending the ordeal for the stranded travelers.
The incident highlights the vulnerability of key highway corridors to accidents and adverse weather, often leading to prolonged disruptions affecting interstate commerce and passenger travel.
