Delhi PWD Plans U-Turn and Extra Lane to Ease Barapullah Phase III Congestion
Delhi Public Works Department Minister Parvesh Verma announced on Wednesday a series of interventions to clear traffic chaos along the newly opened Barapullah Phase III corridor, focusing on bottlenecks near Sarai Kale Khan, Sundial Park, and Gurudwara Bala Sahib. Commuters are expected to see changes take effect within the next 10 to 15 days as the department implements recommendations submitted by the Delhi Traffic Police and project consultants.
The announcement followed a joint coordination meeting held on Tuesday between the PWD, traffic police officials, and engineering consultants. Planned measures include constructing a new U-turn, carving out an additional traffic lane, redesigning merging sections, and collaborating with Google to improve navigation data. Verma confirmed that PWD has engaged a consultant to examine traffic movement and incorporate feasible design modifications.
A key intervention is a dedicated U-turn near Gurudwara Bala Sahib, formally sought by the Traffic Police to allow commuters from Siddharth Extension to access the older Barapullah corridor without traveling against traffic on an existing ramp. Another proposal involves altering the footpath along the stretch between Sarai Kale Khan and ITO. Verma explained that removing sections of the footpath will allow four continuous lanes to operate where the road currently narrows from four lanes down to three before widening again.
A drone survey conducted by the Traffic Police after the corridor opened found severe lane capacity mismatches, showing two separate three-lane roads feeding into a single three-lane corridor. Surveyors also documented an abrupt, sharp merger rather than a smooth curvature where the new elevated section joins the existing Barapullah flyover near Sundial Park. Verma also addressed navigational issues, explaining that Google reported its software requires roughly 15 days to map traffic patterns on newly opened roads before providing accurate real-time congestion updates.
The Barapullah Phase III project, built at an estimated cost of Rs 1,635 crore to link Mayur Vihar with Sarai Kale Khan and South Delhi, was opened on September 29 after years of construction delays. However, intense bottlenecks immediately developed where traffic from Mayur Vihar, the Sundial loop, and the DND Flyway merges before entering the older elevated network. Verma acknowledged that authorities had not anticipated congestion of this scale, adding that initial volumes were partly driven by drivers eager to experience the new route.
Responding to design criticism from the Aam Aadmi Party, Verma maintained that the current administration could not redesign a substantially finished flyover upon taking office in February 2025. He noted that 288 of the required 298 pillars were already standing and nearly 80 percent of the physical work was finished under previous approvals. Verma added that major infrastructure projects exceeding Rs 1,000 crore in expenditure should be planned with sufficient lane capacity to handle traffic growth over 50 years.
