With the Tamil Nadu government having declared a government holiday Monday and Diwali falling on Sunday, traffic in Chennai is bound to be reduced to a snail's pace for the next three days as people leave the city for their extended weekend. Here is what the traffic will be like from Friday to Monday: All roads leading to and from Chennai will be gridlocked on Friday evening as people leave by road towards towns and cities across South India and once again on Monday when they will be slated to return. Roads along Chengalpet, Puducherry, Perungalathur, Hosur and Kancheepuram will be busy for the next three days. The Southern Railway has introduced special trains for Diwali to clear the rush of extra passengers during the festival. With the trains set to depart in the evenings on Friday and Saturday, citizens can expect traffic snarls at the junction outside the Puratchi Thalaivar MG Ramachandran Central Station and outside the Tambaram railway station in the evenings. Over 11,000 special government buses have been introduced by the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) for the three-day holiday. The special buses will be operated between Thursday and Saturday out of six bus stations in the city, namely Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT), Madhavaram, Tambaram-Sanatorium, Tambaram, K K Nagar and Poonamallee. The concentration of traffic is expected to be huge around the bus stations, given that most people have opted for buses over trains this time. With people moving out of the city on Friday evening, commuting within the city will be relatively faster, barring the movement of private buses. Likewise, commuting within Chennai will be a hassle-free affair on Saturday and Sunday. The concentration of traffic moving towards the city is expected to peak on Monday, with people set to return home after the extended weekend break. Traffic towards Chennai along the roads near Chengalpet, Puducherry, Kancheepuram, Hosur and Perungalathur is expected to be gridlocked on Monday, especially in the evening. Likewise, the movement of traffic outside the Puratchi Thalaivar MG Ramachandran Central and Tambaram railway stations is expected to be hit as people return to the city.
