New Delhi flyover faces 3.5-kilometre queues after opening

The Barapullah Phase-III elevated corridor in New Delhi was hit by severe congestion on its first day of operation, with traffic queues extending up to 3.5 kilometres and commuters reporting waits of between 40 and 60 minutes. The corridor was inaugurated on Tuesday, September 29, with officials saying it would reduce travel between Mayur Vihar and south Delhi to about 15 minutes. On Wednesday morning, however, traffic on the route remained heavy well beyond the usual peak period.

Delhi traffic police said an estimated 500,000 to 600,000 vehicles converged on the new route. A Mayur Vihar traffic official said motorists arrived from several directions after learning that the corridor could reduce journeys to AIIMS and other parts of south Delhi. South Delhi Deputy Commissioner of Police Sandeep Gupta said Google Maps directed commuters towards the new corridor without showing the developing congestion.

Police temporarily stopped vehicles entering from the Mayur Vihar side after the queue reached about 3.5 kilometres, diverting traffic towards NH-24 before allowing vehicles through in phases. The congestion was also linked to the road layout. The new corridor has six lanes, with three in each direction, but joins the existing Barapullah Phase-II stretch, which has two lanes.

Police said traffic from the new route was therefore merging into a narrower section, creating a bottleneck. Police deployed about 10 to 12 personnel on each side to regulate traffic manually and said they were in contact with Google about the route guidance. The authorities expected conditions to improve as traffic patterns settled and mapping systems began reflecting congestion.

The other carriageway was not opened on Wednesday because inauguration tents and other arrangements had not been removed. The Public Works Department told police it would clear them overnight so the carriageway could open on Thursday.