U-Turn on Capsule: Makarba Bridge Traffic ‘Capsule Diversion’ Fails, Barricades Removed As Jams Persist

Ahmedabad: The Traffic Police’s ‘capsule diversion’ near the newly opened Makarba Bridge failed to ease congestion, forcing authorities to remove barricades after traffic jams worsened.

Diversion Shifts Traffic Jam 200 Metres Ahead

After the bridge opened to vehicular traffic, long queues began forming at the junction below it during peak hours. To manage the congestion, the Traffic Police installed metal barricades and blocked the intersection, directing motorists to a U-turn, or ‘capsule cut’, around 200 metres ahead.

The arrangement failed within days. Traffic that previously built up at the junction began piling up at the narrower cut, with queues stretching nearly half a kilometre during peak hours.

Motorists and local residents raised concerns over the diversion, particularly as vehicles struggled to negotiate the congested stretch. The authorities eventually removed the barricades and restored the earlier traffic arrangement.

Bridge Opens, But Traffic Problem Remains

The removal of the barricades has not solved the underlying congestion. Motorists continue to face delays while passing through the junction, particularly during busy hours.

The bridge, constructed at a cost of crores, was expected to improve movement through the area. Instead, traffic management at the junction has remained a challenge since it was opened.

Neither the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) nor the Traffic Police has come up with a concrete long-term plan to address the problem, according to the information available.

PCU Assessment Questioned

One of the key concerns emerging from the episode is whether traffic volume was properly assessed before the bridge was planned and designed.

The number of Passenger Car Units (PCUs) passing through the junction below the bridge was reportedly not adequately assessed during the project planning stage. This has raised questions about whether the traffic arrangement was designed around actual vehicle movement.

The failed diversion has also exposed the limitations of relying on temporary traffic measures after a major infrastructure project is completed.

Wrong-Side Driving Risk

The 200-metre diversion created another safety concern. With motorists facing additional travel and congestion at the narrow cut, some vehicles reportedly began using the wrong side of the road to avoid the detour.

Such movements increased the risk of collisions at an already congested junction.

Coordination Gap Between AMC, Traffic Police

The episode has also highlighted a coordination gap between the AMC’s Road and Bridge Project Department and the Traffic Police.

Instead of a permanent traffic management plan being implemented alongside the bridge project, motorists have been subjected to temporary measures, including barricading, diversions and subsequent removal of the restrictions.

The immediate experiment may have been abandoned, but the traffic problem at the Makarba junction remains, leaving motorists to deal with the same congestion despite the completion of a major bridge project.