The closure of the road in front of the US Consulate General Hyderabad has begun to have ripple effect across the Financial District, with diversions funnelling thousands of additional vehicles onto already strained stretches between Gowlidoddy and Wipro Circle.
The restrictions were put in place by the Cyberabad police on security grounds following tensions in West Asia after the US and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on February 28. By Tuesday morning, the impact of the restrictions was visible on the ground.
The Wipro Circle stretch, particularly the busy Gowlidoddy–Wipro junction road, bore the brunt of the diverted flow. The corridor typically records between 50,000 and 60,000 incoming vehicles during peak hours from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., with the Wipro junction itself clocking nearly 80,000 to 90,000 vehicles every morning. The addition of vehicles headed to the Consulate, especially those arriving for visa interviews, has intensified the load.
Officials estimate that between 1,000 and 2,000 visitors arrive at the Consulate daily for interviews between 7.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. Until Monday morning, vehicles would drop candidates at the main gate and proceed towards designated parking. With the road shut, visitors are now dropped nearly 200 metres away on the main road, while vehicles are diverted towards alternative parking points. This change alone has added up to 2,000 extra vehicles onto the Wipro Circle Road.
