Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Commuters faced heavy traffic jam on Friday evening as traffic police conducted a rehearsal of escorting Prime Minister’s cavalcade from the state hangar to Manav Sangrahalay. The traffic police installed barricade at different crossings and routes while a dummy cavalcade used the designated routes to reach its destinations. However, the rehearsal caused a traffic chaos in half of the city during the peak rush hours in the evening. The rehearsal even affected traffic movement in Old City areas of Ibrahimpura, Hamidia Hospital and Talaiyya area.

Long queue of vehicles were seen on VIP Road, Moti Masjid, Kamla Park, Polytechnic Crossing, Banganga, Roshanpura to TT Nagar, Control Room, Rajbhawan to Jehnagirabad. Traffic cops struggled to maintain traffic flow at the crossings as the dummy cavalcade of Prime Minister reached its destination under the supervision of senior traffic officials. Traffic officials said Prime Minister’s cavalcade started from state hangar to Kushabhau Convention Centre and reached Manav Sangrahalay in 18 minutes. DCP, traffic, Sanjay Singh said traffic was not diverted during the rehearsal, which affected the usual traffic movement on different routes. However, the traffic movement resumed sooner, he added.

Traffic diversions on February 23

Heavy traffic diversions will be in place during Prime Minister’s visit on February 23. During the movement of the PM’s cavalcade from state hangar to Kushabhau Convention Centre at 2.30 pm, traffic movement on the connected routes will be restricted. Movement of passenger buses from Ujjain, Indore will be restricted ahead Halalpur Bus Stand and will not allowed to enter Lalghati. Buses coming from Rajgarh-Beora will move via Mubarakpur bypass trisection to Khajuri bypass trisection and will reach Halalpur Bus Stand.

Buses from Rajgarh-Beora will take the route from Mubarakpur bypass trisection to Gandhi Nagar trisection, Karond, Best Price trisection, JP Nagar trisection to Nadra Bus Stand. During PM’s programme at Kushabhau Convention Centre at 3 pm, heavy vehicles, two and four-wheelers will be restricted from Roshanpura to police control room, Machhlighar to Gandhipark trisection. However, two wheelers and four-wheelers may use the alternate routes.