CHENNAI: Heavy showers on Monday evening brought the city some respite from the day’s muggy heat, but it also brought traffic to a standstill. The sudden downpour caused traffic jams on several stretches, including Nelson Manickam Road and Sterling Road near Loyola College. Vehicular traffic was held up for over two hours along the 100 Feet Road between Koyambedu and Thirumangalam. The Metro Rail work, that has eaten into the carriageway considerably, only compounded the problem.Swamped roads affected traffic flow in Nungambakkam with Sterling Road and College Road seeing chaotic movement of vehicles. Brenton Moses, an employee of an IT company, said, “The road near the DPI was flooded. Riding through that traffic to get home was a terrible experience.” Traffic spilled over causing a major pileup at the Chetpet signal where Harrington Road and Spurtank Road meet.Christina Stephenson, who was shopping in Pondy Bazaar, said, “It started drizzling, so we continued shopping. Then it started pouring. The shops closed early, so there were people huddling under buildings waiting for the rain to stop.” Haphazard driving added to the poor conditions. On Perambur Barracks Road, Purasawalkam, traffic stretched from Doveton Junction for nearly a kilometre. Drivers honked and yelled; some attempted to direct the traffic. With buses and other heavy vehicles plying on this road, the situation was messy.With a single downpour putting traffic signals out of order, traffic policemen were seen directing the vehicles several junctions. This led to confusion, as motorists did not know whether to follow the blinking signals or the policeman. Streetlights failed in places such as Mahalingapuram and parts of Nungambakkam.
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