The newly opened Barapullah Phase-III flyover, designed to improve connectivity between east and south Delhi, has triggered widespread traffic congestion within days of opening, with authorities identifying major bottlenecks at points where the new corridor connects with the existing road network.
The elevated stretch connecting Mayur Vihar with the existing Barapullah corridor has attracted traffic that would otherwise have used NH-24 and the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway. However, traffic police and experts said the increased flow is being squeezed through narrow merging points, creating severe congestion across several major roads.
Six lanes forced into three
A drone survey conducted by the Delhi Traffic Police after two days of congestion identified two major trouble spots.
At one point, three lanes carrying vehicles from Mayur Vihar merge with another three lanes from the Sundial Park loop. The existing elevated corridor, however, has only three lanes, effectively forcing six lanes of traffic into three.
Another problematic stretch is where traffic from the new spur meets the existing Barapullah flyover. A lane ends abruptly at an angle close to 90 degrees, creating additional conflict between vehicles and making the merge more difficult.
Police are considering the installation of another traffic signal on the elevated corridor to regulate vehicle movement.
Congestion spreads across Delhi
The traffic disruption has extended well beyond Barapullah, affecting the Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, Mathura Road, DND, Bhairon Marg, Sarai Kale Khan and other roads in south and southeast Delhi.
The situation worsened on Thursday, with traffic crawling for extended periods ahead of the long weekend.
According to navigation data cited in the report, the approximately 8-km stretch between Safdarjung Hospital and Sarai Kale Khan was taking more than an hour. A 5-km stretch between Panchsheel Park and Munirka on the Outer Ring Road was taking more than 35 minutes, while the route from the AIIMS flyover to Sarai Kale Khan via Barapullah was taking more than 45 minutes.
Ongoing construction at locations including the Modi Mill flyover, Chirag Delhi and stretches between South Extension and Ashram junction further added to the pressure.
A bus breakdown near Ashram on Thursday night also worsened traffic conditions.
Police propose immediate measures
Traffic police have flagged the merging problems with the agencies concerned and proposed several short-term measures.
One proposal involves installing a traffic signal where traffic from the Sundial loop meets vehicles coming from Mayur Vihar. Police have also asked the Public Works Department (PWD) to install barricades at the problematic junction to modify the road geometry and create a more gradual merge.
Additional commissioner of police (Zone-II Traffic) Dinesh Kumar Gupta said the aerial survey showed three packed lanes arriving from Mayur Vihar and another three lanes merging from above the Sundial loop.
Police are also examining additional traffic-control measures at other merging points. Officials have written to Google Maps seeking updated navigation information for the newly opened corridor so that commuters can receive more accurate traffic conditions and consider alternative routes where feasible.
Experts flag road design
S Velmurugan, former chief scientist and head of the traffic engineering and safety division at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), said traffic management alone may not resolve problems caused by road geometry.
He pointed to the six-to-three lane merger as a major bottleneck and said auxiliary lanes need better design, signage and road markings. He also suggested clearly marking gore areas — triangular spaces where roads merge or diverge — using reflective paint, bollards and solar studs.
Traffic police officials said they could not immediately identify a single reason for the unusually widespread disruption, although congestion at the new corridor was a major factor. Officials also pointed to limited personnel at some locations.
Project planning under scrutiny
The Barapullah Phase-III flyover was inaugurated on Tuesday and opened to the public on Wednesday.
A PWD official said the project’s planning and studies were more than two decades old and may not have accounted for present-day traffic volumes following the long delay in completing the project. The official said authorities are now considering possible retrofitting measures.
Experts have suggested immediate steps such as lane balancing, speed calming, widening exits where possible and gradually reducing traffic from three lanes to two and then one instead of forcing an abrupt merge.
Sarika Panda Bhatt, co-founder of the Raahgiri Foundation, said gradual lane staggering could help prevent vehicles from encountering a sudden narrowing of the road.
In the longer term, experts have also suggested reducing dependence on private vehicles by strengthening public transport.
