Vadodara: A 10–15 km-long traffic jam has occurred on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai National Highway near the Jambuva Bypass Bridge in Vadodara since early this morning, due to large potholes caused by heavy rainfall lashing the state. Motorists faced major congestion on the Jambuva Bridge, Por Bridge, and Bamangam Bridge. People commuting for work were stuck for hours as vehicles remained jammed on the highway.

Even after several hours had passed, the route remained unclear, with live Google Maps traffic data at around 1 pm showing heavy congestion in the area. Due to the jam, residents of nearby societies also struggled to move. Five ambulances were reportedly stuck in the jam during the morning. The daily traffic chaos has sparked widespread anger among commuters.

Residential societies and schools located near the Jambuva Bridge are directly impacted. Residents are unable to leave their societies without getting caught in traffic, and children are reaching school late. Residents of Aryan Residency, located near the bridge, are particularly troubled and are urging the administration to resolve the issue by repairing the road.

One local resident told the media that the traffic problem has persisted for the past five years and worsens during the monsoon due to potholes.

Another said they had been stuck in traffic for the past hour, and the situation hadn’t improved. “This traffic jam has become a daily ordeal,” he said. He also demanded that the bridge be widened to six lanes so that commuters traveling between Vadodara, Por, and Karjan do not suffer.

“The potholes on the Jambuva Bridge are huge. Maintenance work is always done during the monsoon, which is a problem. This work should be completed before the monsoon season,” another commuter said.

The highway, which is one of the busiest roads and was once considered safe to travel on, has now been witnessing regular jams due to worsening road conditions following the white-topping of the old asphalt road. Several commuters have complained that the road was better earlier, but now after the white-topping, potholes have become a regular hazard during the monsoon rains. DeshGujarat