Barapullah Phase 3 to ease East-South Delhi travel, but Sarai Kale Khan may face congestion: Experts

Experts have warned that the Barapullah Phase 3 flyover, which was inaugurated on Tuesday to provide an alternative route for commuters travelling via the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyway, could lead to congestion near Sarai Kale Khan.

The new flyover connects Mayur Vihar Phase-1 on Noida Link Road to Sarai Kale Khan on Ring Road, merging with the existing Barapullah network to form a continuous 9-kilometre signal-free stretch till AIIMS roundabout.

It is expected to reduce traffic on the DND and Akshardham stretch and significantly cut the travel time between East and South Delhi. But the experts point out that the congestion near Sarai Kale Khan could increase.

“This is a good step in increasing connectivity between Mayur Vihar and South Delhi, but how much it will be beneficial to the traffic is yet to be seen. DND traffic will be distributed as this new alternative route will be available for commuters travelling to Noida and Greater Noida,” S Velmurugan, traffic expert and senior adviser, National Council of Applied Economic Research, said.

Currently, Sarai Kale Khan attracts high footfall as it serves as a hub for multiple modes of transportation. Commuters travelling from ITO towards Ashram, as well as those coming from Noida and Ghaziabad to South Delhi converge on the road, causing traffic congestion.

“Ashram junction traffic could face clubbing of vehicles coming down from the Barapullah and merging with commuters moving towards Ashram and further towards South Delhi, if someone is travelling towards Ashram flyover,” Velmurugan added.

Sewa Ram, head of Transport Planning at School of Planning and Architecture, said Barapullah Phase 3 might share the traffic burden with other routes, but pointed out that Sarai Kale Khan needs to be looked for possible congestion.

“With Barapullah Phase 3 opening, the destination does not change. Only the route for traffic changes. Vehicular traffic will certainly get diverted from DND and traffic at Akshardham towards will all land at Sarai Kale Khan,” he said.

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“Sarai Kale Khan is already congested because the length of the stretch of Ring Road is not much in terms of traffic landing there. It could be a problem due to merging of more traffic and could cause build-up of traffic on Barapullah ramp also, as the entrance towards the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway also starts near the stretch,” Sewa Ram added.

The traffic on Delhi-Meerut Expressway will remain the same, but the diversion will be only from DND and other routes, he added.

The concerns come as the Delhi government is planning to decongest the Sarai Kahle Khan stretch.

The Public Works Department, which is the main road-owning agency, has recently planned a traffic simulation study of the entire South Delhi network, including Sarai Kale Khan.