Chandapura-Attibele road traffic remained severely disrupted from Monday morning through 8 pm after returning holiday travellers, railway underpass construction and rain combined to create queues stretching up to 8 km on National Highway 44 in Bengaluru’s southern outskirts.
The congestion affected commuters travelling between Hosur, Attibele, Nerallur, Yadavanahalli and Chandapura. People heading to offices, schools and colleges were caught in traffic for several hours, with some reaching their destinations only around noon despite leaving in the morning.
The disruption followed a series of holidays from Friday to Sunday, which increased the number of people returning to Bengaluru from Tamil Nadu and other locations. Traffic movement was further slowed by ongoing work on a railway underpass along the national highway. Rain and the slow pace of the work made it difficult for vehicles to move through the affected stretch.
By around 8 am, vehicles were reported to be queued for 7 to 8 km. Heavy vehicles became stuck, leaving two-wheeler riders with limited space to pass. Chandapura Circle emerged as one of the main points of congestion, while traffic was also reported from Hosur in Tamil Nadu and the stretches towards Attibele, Nerallur, Yadavanahalli and Narayana Hrudayalaya in Chandapura.
Traffic police remained stationed at key junctions from the morning until 8 pm to manage the situation. The congestion also affected emergency medical access. Two ambulances, one in the morning and another in the evening, were caught in the traffic. According to a police official quoted by Prajavani, the patients’ conditions were stable, but both reached hospitals late. The official said a more serious emergency could have had fatal consequences.
The effects extended beyond the highway. Many commuters attempted to avoid the jam through the Bommasandra-Jigani link road and routes connecting Anekal, Hosur and Attibele. However, these diversions also became congested. Roads through Marasur, Lakshmisagara and Ramasagara, which connect to the national highway, were reported to be filled with vehicles.
Schoolchildren faced particularly long delays. Some students remained on buses for more than four hours during school hours, while others got down and walked to school after traffic failed to move. The episode showed how congestion on a major highway can quickly shift pressure onto village roads and affect emergency services, education and local travel across the wider Anekal-Hosur corridor.
The immediate traffic management response continued at major junctions through Monday evening. The affected corridor includes the railway underpass construction zone and will require traffic arrangements around the ongoing work as commuters return to the route.
