Despite ‘staggered’ VIP movement, central Delhi gridlocked once again amid AI Impact Summit

With arterial roads repeatedly cleared for convoy movement and reopened for limited traffic, large parts of central Delhi remained choked for hours.

Parts of Lutyens Delhi remained snarled on Thursday, particularly during evening peak hours, as staggered VIP movements for the ongoing AI Summit disrupted traffic for hours, sparking commuter outrage and raising questions about traffic management during high-profile events.

A massive traffic jam is seen over Ring Road following AI Summit near AIIMS in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, February 19, 2026. (HT Photo/Sanchit Khanna)

Though the main cluster of departures by heads of state for the event at Bharat Mandapam was scheduled between 7pm and 9pm, traffic curbs began much earlier, according to traffic police officials.

VIP movements started early in the day, but closures were enforced through the afternoon as heads of state left the venue, leading to repeated halts rather than a single defined closure window.

Subramanian Bharti Marg – which meets Mathura Road in front of the Old Fort – was among the worst affected stretches. Bhaskar, a commuter, wrote on social media: “Subramanian Bharti Marg blocked for VIP movement for the last 40 minutes.”

Heavy congestion was also reported on Lodhi Road, particularly between the India International Centre and India Habitat Centre, with some commuters noting an absence of traffic police and vehicles moving bumper-to-bumper.

Gridlock extended to Zakir Husain Marg, C-Hexagon, Mathura Road, Subramanian Swamy Marg, Sardar Patel Marg, Connaught Place, Shershah Road, Ashoka Road, Mother Teresa Crescent, and all adjoining roads.

Pratham Thakur, a 36-year-old IT professional stuck near C-Hexagon, said: “People coming from Zakir Husain Marg towards India Gate Hexagon were made to wait nearly 45 minutes at the signal, and it still wasn’t cleared.”

According to traffic police, staggered departures resulted in intermittent stoppages to facilitate secure passage of convoys, particularly around Bharat Mandapam. However, with regular office-hour traffic merging into security arrangements, much of Lutyens Delhi experienced near gridlock conditions till late evening.

A senior traffic police officer said they coordinated with Google Maps to display road closures on two stretches – Mathura Road and Subramanian Swamy Marg. “The roads were shown as fully closed for nearly two hours even though traffic was being intermittently halted rather than completely shut,” the officer said.

By evening, congestion intensified again as the primary departure window approached. With arterial roads repeatedly cleared for convoy movement and reopened for limited traffic, large parts of central Delhi remained choked for hours.

On Wednesday night, people had to walk up to five kilometres after the event ended as police shut all roads near Bharat Mandapam to facilitate VIP movement. “There were 3,500 cars parked in the designated parking that had to leave from Bhairon Marg, and nearly 100,000 people were at the event on Wednesday. The road was closed for about 40 minutes during VIP movement,” a police officer said.

The summit is scheduled to end on Saturday, and restrictions will remain across large parts of central Delhi, particularly around Bharat Mandapam and the 10 hotels where foreign delegates are staying.

Traffic woes, however, are likely to continue through the weekend, with special arrangements announced for the Bar Council of Delhi elections at the Delhi High Court complex.

According to a traffic advisory issued Thursday, elections to elect 25 members of the Bar Council will be held on February 21, 22, and 23 from 9am to 6pm. Sher Shah Road, from both India Gate and Mathura Road sides, will remain closed during polling hours.

Police have advised commuters to avoid Tilak Marg, C-Hexagon, Zakir Hussain Marg, Sher Shah Road, and Purana Qila Road, with diversions enforced at key junctions and no parking allowed around C-Hexagon.