South Delhi hit by traffic gridlock as multiple projects clog roads

Authorities warn of increased traffic congestion as multiple repair projects are set to begin in the coming month.

A string of infrastructure and repair projects being carried out simultaneously across the city has brought traffic to a near-standstill on key roads, including the Ring Road and Outer Ring Road, with commuters facing long delays, diversions and shrinking road space.

The impact has been particularly severe in south Delhi, where work on at least six major projects has turned stretches of the Ring Road, Outer Ring Road (HT Photo/Representational)

The impact has been particularly severe in south Delhi, where work on at least six major projects has turned stretches of the Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road and Josip Broz Tito Marg into congestion points. The situation is expected to worsen further, with repair work on three major south Delhi flyovers – Nehru Nagar, AIIMS and Barapullah Phase-I – set to begin simultaneously in a month, as HT reported on Thursday.

The Ring Road is among the worst affected. The Public Works Department (PWD) has started work to extend the Barapullah Elevated Road on the carriageway towards Ashram-Lajpat Nagar, opposite the Sarai Kale Khan Interstate Bus Terminal (ISBT). Around three feet of road space has been occupied where the elevated loop begins, with jersey barriers narrowing the carriageway.

“This work is for the finishing of the Barapullah flyover loop and will take a couple of weeks. Proper barricading has been done and traffic police were also informed,” a PWD official said. Although the construction occupies a relatively short stretch, the narrowing has become significant because of the volume of traffic at Sarai Kale Khan. Besides the ISBT, the area houses a key station on the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS), a major Metro station and one of the gates of Nizamuddin railway station.

Vehicles arriving from Ghaziabad, eastern and northern Delhi also converge here before heading towards south Delhi, Faridabad and Gurugram. “Merging multi-lane traffic, including vehicles coming from the Sarai Kale Khan flyover, near the same spot where the construction work is underway, is another key factor for the gridlock. We have already issued a traffic advisory,” a traffic police officer said. Besides, the National Capital Region Transport Corporation has also started construction of a bridge across the main Jangpura road to link the Sarai Kale Khan station with its upcoming stabling yard.

With this work going on across the narrow four-lane stretch, traffic coming towards the Ashram chowk is further slowed down. Another disruption on the Ring Road is on the carriageway from Ashram towards Kilokari, where Delhi Jal Board (DJB) renovation work has been followed by PWD re-carpeting.

The stretch is used by commuters heading from Lajpat Nagar towards Sarai Kale Khan, Barapullah and Noida. The work is expected to be completed before the end of August. “Travelling on both carriageways of the Ring Road in peak and non-peak hours is nothing less than a nightmare for daily commuters. The corridor already has major congestion owing to traffic merging from multiple key routes like the Barapullah and DND elevated routes.

Multiple projects disrupt Outer Ring Road

The construction activities on both carriageways have only added to the sufferings of commuters. Covering a two-or-threekilometre stretch takes 30 to 45 minutes, which should ideally be a 10-minute drive,” said Anurag Kaushik, a businessman from Mayur Vihar Phase-II. Further south, the nearly 19-km Outer Ring Road is also facing sustained congestion.

Major PWD construction for a project connecting the Modi Mill flyover with the Bhairav Temple flyover has affected traffic movement along the corridor and adjoining roads as motorists seek alternative routes. Josip Broz Tito Marg has emerged as another major bottleneck.

The stretch between the Chirag Delhi flyover and Siri Fort intersection, which earlier housed the BRT Corridor, is affected by an ongoing Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) infrastructure project. Iron barricades on both carriageways have reduced road space, affecting commuters between Defence Colony-Lajpat Nagar and Ambedkar Nagar, Saket, CR Park and Malviya Nagar.

The Mehrauli-Badarpur Road is similarly affected by construction for the DMRC’s Phase-IV Tughlakabad-Aerocity corridor, with disruption expected to continue till mid-September. One carriageway between Khanpur and Saket Metro has been closed for construction of a portal beam between pillar numbers 40 and 37, in front of Sainik Farm Gate No. 2 towards Asian Market.

Infographic on all the road works ahead (HT Print)

Construction and bridge repairs also disrupt traffic in north, northeast and west Delhi

Traffic in both directions is being handled on a single carriageway. In northeast Delhi, traffic around Khajoori has been affected by road repair work on the Puja Pavi-Loni Roundabout stretch, expected to be completed by September-end. Traffic has been diverted through Loni Tiraha, Balram Nagar, Ram Park and Khajoori Pusta Road. The Shahdara flyover towards Apsara Border is also witnessing disruption due to repair and renovation work. In north Delhi, reconstruction of the Pul Bangash and Pul Dufferin railway overbridges by Northern Railway has added to pressure on surrounding roads.

The existing structures are being dismantled after being declared unsafe. Pul Bangash was closed on August 13 and will remain shut until the end of the year, while Pul Dufferin will be completely closed from September 10 to December 31, with diversions in place. In west Delhi, roads around the deputy commissioner of police office in Janakpuri are affected by DJB excavation work on the service road near the fire station.

The work began on August 23 and is expected to continue for 15 days. The Delhi Traffic Police has been issuing advisories and updates on social media regarding restrictions and diversions. However, commuters have raised concerns over traffic regulation at affected locations, particularly during peak hours. In the past week, traffic police have issued at least five traffic advisories related to these projects, alerting commuters about possible traffic congestions. Since August 13, they have seven such advisories.

Experts call for phased construction

Traffic experts said construction schedules and manpower deployment could help reduce the duration and extent of disruptions if work is carried out in phases. S Velmurugan, former chief scientist and head of the Traffic Engineering and Safety Division at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), said repair work on individual stretches could be completed faster with greater manpower deployment, with subsequent stretches taken up only after the first is opened.

“This ensures that with proper manpower the first work gets done quicker and can be opened for traffic, while also ensuring that multiple bottlenecks do not arise at the same time,” he said. He suggested advance diversions and clearer signage around flyovers and construction sites. “Traffic from various directions comes to a flyover and merges. Many vehicles can be diverted well in advance so that they would use alternative routes,” he said, adding that officials could use Google alerts and FM radio channels to help people plan their travel.