Truck breakdown, ongoing work trigger major traffic disruption on NH-16 in Bhadrak; hundreds of vehicles stranded

Heavy congestion was reported on National Highway 16 in Bhadrak on Thursday, with traffic remaining at a standstill for nearly eight hours. 

Hundreds of vehicles were seen stranded on the stretch beneath the Dhamara railway overbridge, causing significant disruption to movement towards Balasore, Odisha.

The situation persisted through the night, with vehicles reportedly stuck from 11 pm onwards.

Gridlock On One Side Of Highway

A complete gridlock developed on one side of the carriageway, leaving long queues of vehicles unable to move. Traffic from Bhadrak towards Balasore was particularly affected, as motorists remained stranded for hours.

According to officials, the disruption was caused by a truck that broke down and remained stationed on the road. The situation was further compounded by ongoing National Highway construction work in the area, which restricted movement and narrowed the available passage for vehicles.

Breakdown And Road Work Trigger Disruption

Bhadrak SDPO Sanatan Rout said the blockade had first occurred earlier in the night before being cleared temporarily.

“The block had initially occurred at around 09:00 pm last night, but we had cleared that out. However, another jam occurred later in the night at around 02:00 am,” he said.

Explaining the cause, he added, “A vehicle broke down on the service road and other vehicles of three lanes cannot cross over from there, causing the jam. The broken-down vehicle cannot be moved or towed away as it is loaded. It will be removed after it is repaired. Our team is ensuring traffic clearance and assisting in this area.”

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Efforts by the Rural police station were underway to restore normal traffic movement at the time of reporting.