Dehradun Traffic: Major Routes Blocked As Wedding Processions Halt Movement, Commuters Face Two-Hour Delays

Dehradun came to a standstill on Saturday night as massive traffic jams crippled movement amid the peak wedding season. The sound of shehnais echoed from nearly every banquet hall and hotel, while wedding processions (baraat) spilling onto the streets triggered chaos across major routes. By late evening, gridlock had engulfed the city, and travelling on key roads became nearly impossible.

Despite police estimates of over 100 weddings scheduled for the day and all major venues fully booked, no effective traffic plan was implemented. Wedding guests blocked roads, burst fireworks, and walked in the middle of streets, leaving commuters stranded for up to two hours on routes that normally take just 10-15 minutes. Police personnel were missing from the ground, even as complaints poured in.

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The worst congestion was reported on the Haridwar Bypass, where traffic remained stalled for nearly 10 km, from ISBT and Kargi Chowk to Rispana Bridge, Jogiwala, and Mohkampur. From 7 PM, vehicles barely moved, and frustrated commuters attempted to clear the jam themselves, but the situation continued to worsen. Even by 10 PM, traffic remained far from normal.

Similar gridlock was reported on the Dehradun-Paonta Highway, Saharanpur Road, and Mussoorie Road.

Commuters repeatedly called police officials throughout the evening, but their calls went unanswered. By 9:30 PM, police had still not reached the Haridwar Bypass to manage the situation. The journey from Mohkampur to Rispana Bridge, usually a 10-minute drive, took up to 1.5 hours, while the Kargi Chowk–Rispana stretch took nearly two hours.

Residents criticised the police for failing to enforce their own rule requiring prior permission for wedding processions, especially since most venues are located on main roads.

The chaos was aggravated by the long weekend rush. With Monday being a holiday for Guru Tegh Bahadur Jayanti, many people from Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Meerut, Saharanpur, Haryana, and Punjab travelled to Dehradun and Mussoorie. Tourist influx began early in the morning, flooding internal city routes with outstation vehicles.

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Tourists heading to Mussoorie also faced massive delays. The 32 km stretch from Dehradun to Mussoorie took three to four hours, with long vehicle queues at Kincraig, the entry point to the hill town. Mussoorie hotels and guesthouses were nearly 85 per cent booked, adding to the rush.

Police reiterated that permission is mandatory for holding a wedding procession on public roads. SP Traffic Lokjeet Singh stated that fines will now also be imposed on wedding venue operators where baraats spill onto main roads without approval. Additional police forces have been deployed to manage traffic in the coming days.