NHAI repair work on Delhi-Meerut Expressway triggers daily snarls near Ghazipur

Repair work on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway near Ghazipur is causing severe traffic congestion, with delays expected to continue until June 2026.

Ongoing repair work on a stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway corridor near Ghazipur has turned the area into a daily bottleneck over the past few days, leaving commuters stranded in long vehicle queues for hours.

Traffic jam on Delhi Meerut Expressway (NH9) near Ghazipur due to ongoing road repair work, on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

According to officials aware of the matter, repair work by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is underway on the Ghaziabad-to-Sarai Kale Khan carriageway, resulting in lane restrictions and slower traffic movement on the heavily used corridor connecting east Delhi to other National Capital Region (NCR) cities. The work is expected to continue till June 2026.

Commuters travelling from Ghaziabad towards Delhi said repairs on the carriageway -- first on the Ghaziabad-bound side and now on the Delhi-bound lanes -- have reduced the already packed stretch to a crawl, with traffic piling up for kilometres during morning and evening peak hours.

The stretch, considered among the busiest arterial routes connecting east Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad with the national capital, witnesses daily movement of office-goers, commercial vehicles and interstate traffic.

Daily commuters said the repair work has progressed slowly despite lanes remaining barricaded for over a month.

Several commuters shared videos and posts on social media this week showing bumper-to-bumper traffic, with vehicles inching forward after long delays near the repair site.

“Every day, there is massive traffic congestion. Sometimes, you don’t even see any work happening on the road, but the lanes remain blocked,” said Yash Jain, 34, a resident of Indirapuram who commutes to central Delhi daily for work.

“On a busy stretch like this, the agencies should deploy full manpower and machinery and complete the repairs within a few days instead of stretching it for months. It is such a huge hassle for commuters. I have been late for work almost every day,” said Pankaj Gandhi, a resident of Ghaziabad.

Another commuter said the absence of traffic police, warning signage and lane management has worsened the situation. “Had there been proper planning, traffic personnel could have been stationed before the bottleneck, proper signboards could have been installed and at least one dedicated fast-moving lane created. Instead, people are left waiting for hours,” said Rashika Kumar, 24.

An NHAI official not authorised to speak to the media said it was routine relaying work. “One lane is closed at a time, and for that obvious reason, there is increased congestion.”

Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory on Monday, alerting commuters travelling between Ghaziabad and Delhi that they are likely to face prolonged congestion due to ongoing maintenance and carpeting work being carried out by the NHAI on NH-9.

Traffic police advised commuters heading towards Delhi, including Sarai Kale Khan, to avoid the affected NH-9 stretch and instead use NH-24 as an alternative route.

Police also urged motorists to plan journeys in advance, allow extra travel time and drive cautiously near work zones.

A senior traffic police officer said, “Traffic personnel have been deployed at key intersections to regulate movement and minimise inconvenience during the repair work. We have also asked NHAI to deploy marshals to regulate flow.”