Repair work on the Rao Tula Ram (RTR) flyover on the Outer Ring Road in south Delhi spiralled into a massive traffic jam on Thursday, with congestion stretching nearly 18 kilometres from Dhaula Kuan to Udyog Vihar in Gurugram and thousands of commuters bearing the brunt of diversions on one of the National Capital Region’s busiest corridors.
On Thursday, the RTR flyover remained shut for a second consecutive day, forcing vehicles travelling between Delhi airport, Gurugram, Dwarka and south Delhi to take alternative routes.
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The closure triggered a cascading traffic backlog on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and roads leading into Gurugram, leaving commuters facing sharply increased travel times.
RTR Flyover closure creates traffic woes
Many took to social media to share videos of the congestion and complain about the disruption. “Gurgaon New Delhi connectivity is broken for the past 48 hours. Traffic Police nowhere to be found,” a motorist posted on X. Another commuter posted, “Taking 2.5 hours to reach from Gurugram to central Delhi because the Vasant Vihar flyover is closed. Please help.”
The RTR flyover has been shut since early Wednesday, after Delhi traffic personnel observed cracks at two locations on the flyover on Tuesday night and informed the Public Works Department (PWD) about it, seeking necessary repairs. The repair work is expected to be completed by October 26, and vehicular movement on the flyover is likely to resume by October 27.
{{/usCountry}}The RTR flyover has been shut since early Wednesday, after Delhi traffic personnel observed cracks at two locations on the flyover on Tuesday night and informed the Public Works Department (PWD) about it, seeking necessary repairs. The repair work is expected to be completed by October 26, and vehicular movement on the flyover is likely to resume by October 27.
{{/usCountry}}Until then, traffic from the Delhi airport, Gurugram, and Dwarka, heading to Vasant Vihar and Chirag Delhi, has been diverted onto the service road adjoining the RTR flyover and other alternative routes.
In an advisory, Delhi Traffic Police said, “The flyover has been closed for repair work, and the entire traffic has been diverted onto the adjoining service road. Consequently, traffic is heavy, and the queue is extending considerably behind the flyover. The flyover will remain closed until completion of the work, and traffic is expected to remain heavy during peak hours.”
Gurugram reels from diversions
Gurugram traffic police said congestion worsened Thursday morning due to restrictions on the entry of heavy vehicles into Gurugram between 8am and 10am via NH-48 and the Dwarka Expressway. Traffic movement was severely affected from Rajiv Chowk to 32nd Avenue, on NH-48 towards Jaipur, near Leisure Valley Park, and from Iffco Chowk to Udyog Vihar Phase 4. Vehicular movement on MG Road towards the Iffco Chowk metro station and near Sikanderpur moved slowly, and the backlog cleared up by around 11.30am, police said.
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On the Faridabad-Gurugram road, vehicles moved bumper to bumper on a three-kilometre stretch from the Ghata T-Point to Valley View Estate leading to Gurugram.
Traffic inspector Tanej Pal said the congestion was caused by the diversion and worsened due to a vehicle breakdown.
Vandana Sharma, a Noida resident, said that due to severe congestion, it took her 70 minutes to reach Gurugram.