Monday mess: Signals back at Shankar Chowk

The traffic lights on Shankar Chowk crossing blinked normal on Tuesday morning after Gurgaon Police’s experiment to make the busy crossing on Gurgaon Expressway signal-free bit the dust. On Monday, commuters faced horrifying traffic jams at the crossing during morning and evening rush hours.

The traffic lights on Shankar Chowk crossing blinked normal on Tuesday morning after Gurgaon Police’s experiment to make the busy crossing on Gurgaon Expressway signal-free bit the dust. On Monday, commuters faced horrifying traffic jams at the crossing during morning and evening rush hours.

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The Gurgaon Police removed the barricades within 12 hours of implementing the new traffic plan that had caused the jams.

The Shankar Chowk signals under the flyover were turned off and vehicles were diverted to approach roads instead crossing each other on the service lanes of the expressway. The turnabout in traffic planning came after all approach roads in DLF Cybercity and Udyog Vihar, and the service lanes on both sides of the expressway were chock-a-block with vehicles till 9.30 p.m.

By the time the police officials realised the damage and removed the barricades, there were jams all over. The residents of nearby Ambience Island, along with visitors to Ambience mall and Hotel Leela Kempinski were stuck or stranded.

Senior police officers rushed to Shankar Chowk flyover at 7.30 p.m. and ordered the barricades be removed within 10 minutes on seeing the traffic blockage. The traffic could turn normal only by 9.30 p.m., said an eyewitness.

Gurgaon police commissioner S.S. Deswal admitted that the new experiment to make Shankar Chowk failed as the plan had a few flaws.

“We returned to the original plan and allowed the signals to work on Monday evening again. We would now look for another solution to the traffic mess problem at this crossing.”