Massive jam hits Barapullah Phase-III days after launch

A massive traffic jam hit the newly inaugurated Barapullah Phase-III corridor on Monday, causing vehicles to crawl towards Barapullah and the Ring Road. Heavy gridlock prompted the Delhi Traffic Police to issue an advisory on social media, asking commuters to avoid the affected stretch and take alternate routes toward NH-24 and DND.

“Traffic from Barapullah Phase-III is being diverted towards NH-24/DND to ease the pressure at the Barapullah junction,” it said. According to the traffic police, the problem is partly that Google Maps is not reflecting the actual traffic situation on Barapullah Phase 3 towards Barapullah and Ring Road. The Delhi Traffic Police, in its post on X, said the main bottleneck occurred on the old Barapullah flyover, where traffic from around eight to nine lanes merges into three lanes at a single point, causing congestion to stretch for a considerable distance.

The newly opened corridor feeds traffic into the existing Barapullah network, where vehicles eventually converge at key merging points. 

The traffic police has said the bottleneck at Barapulla Junction is worsening as a large number of commuters continue to choose the route.

The issue has been particularly noticeable around Mayur Vihar Phase-I and the Barapullah Phase 3 elevated road. Commuters have reported bumper-to-bumper traffic and significant delays during peak hours.

Commuters also shared videos of the route from Mayur Vihar towards AIIMS and said the jam stretched about 2 kilometres on this new road. Motorists reported inordinate delays on the stretch.
“Been in a bumper-to-bumper jam for the past 30 mins and have covered barely 2 kms,” a commuter posted on X. Another commuter wrote, “This seems like a complete mess every morning.  Everyone should avoid this route, especially during morning hours.”

“I now understand and feel the pain of daily commuters on the Barapullah Phase-III Elevated Corridor,” another commuter posted on X.
“It hasn’t even been 10 days since its inauguration. The claim was that we’d reach AIIMS in 15 minutes,” a motorist posted on X. Traffic personnel are deployed at the spot to regulate the flow of vehicles.

Replying to one of the users, the Delhi Traffic Police made this point: “Width Analysis: - Width of Old Barapullah Flyover (Phase-I & II) =  (3 lanes). Width of New Barapullah Flyover Phase-III (Mayur Vihar side) = (3 lanes approx). Width of Sarai Kale Khan side loop = (3 lanes). Width of DND side loop =  (3 lanes).”

The congestion comes days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and other ministers inaugurated the Barapullah Phase-III corridor.