No escape from traffic at road to Makarba underbridge even in the afternoon

The LC-26 underbridge on government documents, and commonly known as the Makarba underbridge to the locals, is turning out to be a bottleneck all day long. One which troubled commuters during peak hours in the morning and evening is  now causing frequent hold-ups even in the afternoons.

Connecting the corporate road to Sarkhej lake, this small passageway under the railway track has become  a daily headache for commuters.

Mostly working professionals, these commuters wait for long hours, waiting to break free from this roughly 150-metre stretch, marred by poorly designed turns, u-turns, and sideways. 

For commuters wanting to access Kataria Tower Road, they have to make a U-turn after exiting the underbridge at Sarkhej lake on a small road. This small road, with high walls, broken pavement, and vegetation on the road right beside the exit of the underbridge, is where the problem lies.

When the underbridge was inaugurated  a year ago, it was an instant hotspot for traffic during office hours in the morning and evening. Months later, even the afternoons witness unmoving traffic.

No solution in sight

As earlier reported by Gujarat Samachar Digital, the traffic at the corporate road and the internal roads leading to and from this underbridge, is managed by good samaritans acting as volunteers to free up the vehicle flow.

While the lack of regular TRB (Traffic Regulatory Brigade) officials at the Makarba crossing has caused traffic jams on the entire stretch, the overall problems persist as civic authorities have failed to arrive at a long term solution. The busy crossroads do not even have traffic signals.

Despite multiple representations to the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the construction of pavement, illegally parked vehicles that constrict the already narrow road, frequent movement of dumpers and luxury buses have ensured that the bottleneck continues. 

Lack of foresight to the growing number of vehicles and poor design at the entry of the underbridge have resulted in loss of valuable productive hours for the citizens.

How long before we see any action from the AMC and the traffic police?