Delhi Traffic Police Plan Mitigation at Sarai Kale Khan Ahead of Expressway Opening

Ahead of the opening of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, the Delhi Traffic Police have proposed extensive mitigation measures at the Sarai Kale Khan junction in New Delhi, where daily evening gridlock already creates jams stretching up to two kilometres on Ring Road.

The junction near Sundial Park serves as a critical convergence point for traffic flowing from the Ring Road, Barapullah elevated road, DND Flyway, and commuters from Noida. Heavy traffic builds daily starting at 5:30 PM and peaks around 6:00 PM, frequently leaving vehicles on the Barapullah elevated road stationary for over half a kilometre.

Traffic officials cautioned at a recent review meeting that congestion will worsen once the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway opens. The new corridor will merge five lanes of expressway traffic with Ring Road towards Ashram, where high-speed traffic from Sarai Kale Khan already converges before splitting toward New Friends Colony and the Ashram flyover.

Sandeep Gupta, DCP (Traffic), Southern Range, stated that corrective steps are required before traffic outgrows existing road capacity. Traffic police have formally requested a road safety audit by CSIR-CRRI or another expert agency prior to the expressway opening.

To address existing capacity constraints, police requested the Public Works Department to explore widening Ring Road from three lanes to four lanes between Barapullah and Sarai Kale Khan. The department also asked the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to clear roadside encroachments by vendors and stalls along Sarai Kale Khan, which is among 62 identified traffic corridors hampered by encroachments.

Traffic congestion is further compounded by public transit and commuter movement. The Inter State Bus Terminal dispatches buses almost every minute, with drivers often stopping on the main carriageway instead of inside the terminal. Nearby approach roads to Hazrat Nizamuddin railway station and the Pink Line metro station routinely clog with e-rickshaws, autos, taxis, and drop-off vehicles.

To resolve these friction points, police proposed closing a nearby CNG station during peak hours to eliminate vehicle queues that spill onto the carriageway by 9:00 PM. Further recommendations include constructing a table-top pedestrian crossing near the railway station and building a foot overbridge on Ring Road between Sarai Kale Khan and Bansera.

Former UTTIPEC director Ashok Bhattacharjee noted that road expansions offer only temporary relief, emphasizing that smart management, enforcement against roadside encroachments, and regulating bus stops are essential to addressing congestion at the junction.