Post-Sankranti travel surge leads to heavy congestion on the Vijayawada–Hyderabad highway as commuters head back to the city ahead of Monday.

The Vijayawada–Hyderabad National Highway came under severe strain on January 18, with long traffic snarls reported as thousands of travellers returned to Hyderabad after celebrating Sankranti in their native towns across Andhra Pradesh.

Traffic movement slowed sharply from the early hours of Sunday as vehicles streamed towards Hyderabad following the three-day festive break—Bhogi, Makara Sankranti and Kanuma. Commuters reported long queues at Chityala and other stretches, where the volume of returning vehicles far exceeded normal weekend levels.

Officials said the rush was expected, as employees and students are scheduled to resume work and classes on Monday, January 19. A similar situation had played out last weekend when outbound traffic clogged the same highway, particularly near toll plazas and busy junctions.

Festival-driven travel continues to expose the highway’s limited capacity during peak return periods. Staggered return plans and real-time traffic advisories could help reduce pressure on such corridors. For motorists, early-morning or late-night travel may offer some relief until traffic normalises over the next 24 hours.