DHAKA, Feb 7: As the city returned to its usual business after a three-day holiday, city dwellers yesterday experienced unusual traffic congestion in most parts of the city due to ongoing works of installing utility pipelines in some major streets.

The tailbacks were also the result of additional traffic flow due to the ongoing Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination in various educational institutions in the capital.

Gridlock and slow traffic movements lingered for hours in the morning in Gulshan, Uttara, Mohakhali, Tejgaon, Moghbazar and Farmgate areas.

Deputy Commissioner Traffic (North) Md Masudur Rahman Bhuiyan said the suspension of traffic movement from Phoenix road to Aarong Bridge in Gulshan-1 link road for installation of pipeline of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) is the main reason of yesterday's traffic jam.

Masudur Rahman said they diverted the traffic flow of the Phoenix road to an alternative road -- from Satrasta to Love road -- and stopped left turning at Mohakhali from Moghbazar to Mohakhali direction traffic to reduce the gridlock.

He said they will have to continue the traffic management as the work of the Wasa will take around three months to complete.

Installing of sewerage pipelines on Mirpur road near Dar-us-Salam crossing made the road too narrow for general traffic flow. Heavy congestion is visible on the road during the daytime.

Amzad Hossain, a resident of Uttara, said it took two and a half hours to come to Farmgate from Uttara-sector five at noon which usually takes one and half hours.

Lintu Michial Corraya, a private job holder, said he had to wait for a public bus at Mohakhali rail crossing from 8:45 am to 9:15 am.