Commuting on Outer Ring Road has become a nightmare for motorists — all thanks to construction of elevated corridors and flyovers to make the road signal-free between Vikaspuri to Wazirabad bridge.
Numerous traffic signals and a significant portion of the carriageway on either side have been eaten away for the elevated corridors, which are coming up on the central verge. This has made traffic jams a regular feature.
“My office is at Janakpuri District Centre. I leave home after 11 in order to avoid the morning traffic. Earlier it used to take around 20 minutes to reach Janakpuri from my West Enclave residence, but now it takes almost double the time,” said Girish Menocha.
Commuters complain that almost half the road on either side, especially between Vikaspuri and Madhuban Chowk, has been cordoned off for the project, leaving only single carriageways on either side for traffic.
“The road becomes funnel shaped after the drain near Keshospur Mandi on the carriageway towards Vikaspuri due to the temporary fence erected by workers. Only one big vehicle can pass at a time. Even the Delhi Metro has undertaken large-scale construction on several arterial roads across the city, but there are hardly find any marshals here. Traffic policemen only make an appearance when the jam gets really bad,” said commuter Rajesh.
Congestion on the Mukarba Chowk-Wazirabad stretch has also increased due to ongoing construction work at the important traffic intersections. Locals claim the jam extends to over a kilometre from Mukarba Chowk all the way up to the Bhalaswa village intersection during peak hours. On the other carriageway, the tail of vehicles reaches Burari Transport Authority crossing.
However, officials said these are temporary hiccups that will ultimately result in a smooth and signal-free drive.
“One of the major reasons for conceiving this project was that the stretch witnessed regular jams due to the numerous red lights. As far as usage of the road space for construction is concerned, we are concentrating on completing the elevated section. Once the pillars and the piers are laid, the fencing will be removed. Commuters will, in fact, find it easier to drive on the stretch even beneath the elevated corridor as the road is being widened.”
