E-Paper
Independence Day: Road closure leave commuters stranded in Ludhiana
Two days before Independence Day celebrations that will be attended by CM Bhagwant Mann, police closed the Club road, Ludhiana, for at least half a day citing security measures
Two days before Independence Day celebrations at the Guru Nanak Stadium that will be attended by chief minister Bhagwant Mann, police closed the Club road, also referred to as Basant Singh Khalsa road, for at least half a day citing security measures.
Commuters faced the major brunt as the blockade resulted in traffic problems at the Ludhiana-Ferozepur road, the Jagraon bridge and adjoining roads. Following continued chaos, police officials reopened the stretch for the traffic later in the evening.
Notably, the district administration and police conducted a full-dress rehearsal at Guru Nanak stadium on Saturday morning, following which the police closed the stretch of road between Shri Durga Mata Mandir and the municipal corporation commissioner’s residence was closed for traffic.
The commuters heading in from Civil Lines, Haibowal and other areas towards Jagraon Bridge were left hassled as police diverted the traffic to the Mall road from Fountain Chowk. Similarly, the traffic going towards Civil Lines, Ghumar Mandi and Haibowal was diverted to Bharat Nagar Chowk.
Jaspreet Singh, a Haibowal resident, said it took him half an hour to cross the Jagraon bridge and the police again diverted traffic at Shri Durga Mata Mandir chowk costing him another 20 minutes to cover half a km.
Mohit Sharma, a resident of Rishi Nagar, meanwhile said ongoing construction work at Ludhiana Ferozepur road made things worse for commuters.
Commissioner of police Kaustubh Sharma, meanwhile, said the road was closed for only a few minutes and that the traffic was diverted to other roads for public’s convenience.
