KARACHI, Nov 24: Karachiites witnessed an unprecedented traffic mess on several major thoroughfares, particularly on the arteries leading to the Expo Centre, the venue of the Ideas-2008 exhibition of military hardware, on Monday.

The traffic police had chalked out a diversion plan to facilitate a movement of foreign and local dignitaries visiting the exhibition and to ensure their safety and security during the travel. For the purpose, vast portions of the Stadium Road and the main University Road were closed to other vehicular traffic.

The closure, however, resulted in complete chaos on almost all the roads around the Expo Centre and the fallout was felt on many other traffic intersections where vehicles were being diverted to the prescribed alternative routes.

The closure of the flyover near the Expo Centre created clogging on nearby roads causing an hours-long traffic jam on the University Road, Pir Sibghatullah Shah Road, Karsaz Road, Sharea Faisal, Sir Shah Sulaiman Road, Sehba Akhtar Road, etc.

Traffic jams for several hours were also witnessed on the roads in Liaquatabad and New Town as deluge of vehicles was diverted to the alternative roads. Similar was the situation at NIPA intersection, Rashid Minhas Road and Dalmia.

Because of the day-long movement of foreign guests and local VVIPs, several roads in the downtown were also closed to other vehicles, resulting in traffic jams around the Governor’s House, Court Road, M. R. Kayani Road, Maulana Din Mohammad Wafai Road, Saddar, Shahrah-i-Liaquat, Dr Ziauddin Ahmed Road, Mohammad Bin Qasim Road and the link roads leading to the main thoroughfares till late in the evening.