The initiative aims to reduce waiting time at intersections, improve average vehicular speed, lower fuel consumption, and ease pressure on some of Delhi’s most heavily congested corridors. Officials have stated that the model has been developed as a cost-efficient alternative to large-scale infrastructure projects, particularly in densely built urban areas where land constraints, Metro corridors, and existing developments limit the scope for flyovers and underpasses.
Under the proposed “Flyovers to Flow-Based Traffic” approach, traditional traffic signals at identified junctions will be removed. Vehicles requiring direction changes will proceed ahead, take designated U-turns, and merge back into their routes, while through traffic will continue without repeated stoppages. The system is intended to maintain continuous movement across key arterial roads.
The proposal was formally cleared on June 23 by the Traffic Police after technical assessment, with inputs from the Central Road Research Institute. It is based on comprehensive traffic surveys conducted across multiple corridors to study congestion patterns and identify signal-heavy stretches contributing to delays.
The plan covers 25 major corridors across Delhi, including Najafgarh Road, Bhartendu Harishchandra Marg, GT Road from GT Karnal Bypass Flyover to Azadpur, Rajouri Garden–Karampura stretch, Punjabi Bagh–Tikri Border stretch, Mathura Road from Ashram–Apollo–Badarpur, Mehrauli–Gurugram Road, Outer Ring Road from Nehru Place to Rao Tula Ram Flyover, Road No. 71 in the Yojana Vihar stretch, the ITO corridor, Kalindi Kunj and airport area roads, Pankha Road, and the Mehrauli–Saket–Sangam Vihar belt, among several other congested arterial stretches spanning North, South, East, and West Delhi.
Traffic studies have highlighted severe signal clustering as a key cause of congestion. On Bhartendu Harishchandra Marg, 11 traffic signals are located within a distance of just 2 kilometres between Karkardooma Mor and Yamuna Sports Complex T-junction, resulting in frequent stoppages and bottlenecks. On Road No. 71 in East Delhi, commuters face six stoppages within 1.5 kilometres, including five traffic signals and one intersection cut between Yojana Vihar and the Indraprastha University junction, further intensifying delays during peak hours.
Officials have stated that such dense signal placement significantly slows traffic movement and creates ripple congestion across adjoining road networks. The proposed U-turn-based model is expected to mitigate these disruptions by reducing stoppages and maintaining smoother flow across intersecting corridors.
Traffic authorities have described the plan as a low-cost, high-impact solution capable of delivering measurable improvements in congestion levels compared to flyovers and underpasses. It is expected to reduce idle time at junctions, improve average travel speed, and cut fuel wastage caused by prolonged halts at signals. The model is also considered more viable in areas where construction activity is constrained due to dense urban development and limited right-of-way availability.
The proposal comes amid a broader strategic review of traffic management in the national capital. Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu recently reviewed Delhi’s congestion scenario with senior officials from the Delhi Police and traffic agencies. The review focused on congestion hotspots, ongoing engineering interventions, and the deployment of technology-driven traffic management systems that have already shown improvements in several key corridors.
The development reflects a broader policy shift from expanding road infrastructure to redesigning existing networks for greater efficiency and uninterrupted mobility.
The Public Works Department is scheduled to hold further consultations with the Traffic Police to finalize implementation strategies for all 25 corridors before phased execution begins.
The initiative marks a significant shift in urban traffic planning, aiming to transform heavily congested intersections into continuously flowing corridors across Delhi’s busiest road network.
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