U-turn, extra lane planned for Barapullah: Spent Rs 1,635 crore & 12 years to fix Delhi traffic, now the fix needs a fix

Delhi's newly opened Barapullah Phase-III corridor is facing traffic problems just days after opening, prompting the government to work on a series of short- and long-term measures. The proposed changes include a new U-turn near Gurudwara Bala Sahib, an additional traffic lane between Sarai Kale Khan and ITO, better lane management and coordination with Google over real-time traffic updates.

U-turn planned near Gurudwara Bala Sahib

PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said the Delhi Traffic Police and consultants held a meeting on Tuesday to identify immediate ways to improve traffic movement. One of the measures under consideration is a dedicated U-turn near Gurudwara Bala Sahib.

Read more - Not showing on Google Maps, but Delhi Traffic Police says Barapulla Phase-III is heavily congested: Why it is happening and what commuters should do


The proposed U-turn is expected to help motorists from Siddharth Extension access the old Barapullah corridor directly towards Lajpat Nagar, INA and AIIMS, reducing the need for diversions and wrong-side movement.

Extra lane may come up between ITO and Sarai Kale Khan

The government is also looking at creating an additional traffic lane on the Ring Road stretch between ITO and Sarai Kale Khan. Verma said parts of the existing footpath could be used to maintain four lanes at stretches where the road currently narrows to three lanes.

The PWD is also working with the Delhi Traffic Police on lane channelisation and better use of the available road space. A consultant has been tasked with assessing the corridor and suggesting further traffic and structural changes.

Google Maps traffic data also under scanner

The government has also approached Google over concerns that navigation data is not accurately reflecting congestion on the newly opened corridor. Verma said Google had indicated that its system takes around 15 days to study traffic patterns on a new road before real-time data becomes more reliable.

Traffic police and PWD officials have said inaccurate navigation information could be directing more motorists towards the already congested stretch.

Why is Barapullah Phase-III facing congestion?

The main problem has emerged around the merger near Sundial Park and Sarai Kale Khan. The three-lane Phase-III corridor meets the existing network at a point where traffic from other three-lane approaches also converges, creating a mismatch in lane capacity and traffic flow.

Read more - Railways targets 11 trains with 40+ hour journeys: Passengers may soon see a big change in how coaches are cleaned en route

The corridor was opened on September 29 after years of delays. Built at a cost of Rs 1,635 crore, it connects Mayur Vihar Phase-I on Noida Link Road with Sarai Kale Khan and forms part of a wider signal-free route towards South Delhi.

BJP-AAP blame game over design

Verma has blamed the previous AAP government for the planning and design decisions behind the project, arguing that the current administration inherited a largely completed structure. He said the present government’s priority was to identify the shortcomings and correct them rather than allow commuters to continue facing congestion.

The AAP, meanwhile, has questioned why Rs 1,635 crore was sanctioned for the project without what it described as a proper technical assessment and has called for a CBI investigation into the alleged flaws.

What happens next?

The PWD is now working on immediate traffic-management measures while a wider assessment is expected to identify longer-term structural changes. The government has indicated that some of the initial interventions could be implemented within the coming days as it tries to improve traffic flow on a corridor that was built to reduce congestion but has instead become a new traffic bottleneck.


Inputs from TOI