Design Flaws Cause Gridlock on New Delhi Elevated Corridor
The Barapullah Phase-III elevated corridor in Delhi experienced severe congestion immediately after opening due to outdated design and inadequate lane capacity.
The newly opened Barapullah Phase-III elevated corridor in Delhi has faced severe traffic congestion, with some commuters reporting delays of up to two hours. Inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on September 30, 2026, the ₹1,635 crore project connects Mayur Vihar Phase-I to Sarai Kale Khan. While the Public Works Department promised a 15-minute commute, the road instead created bottlenecks where six lanes of traffic merge into three.
Delhi Traffic Police and the Public Works Department conducted drone surveys that identified critical design flaws, including sharp 90-degree merges and inadequate lane configurations. Officials also noted that Google Maps directed motorists to the corridor without reflecting real-time congestion. In response, authorities are implementing manual traffic regulation, installing barricades, and considering the addition of traffic signals on the elevated stretch.
The project suffered a nearly two-decade delay, originally conceived in the mid-2000s for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Completion was stalled by a dispute over a 2.5-acre patch of private agricultural land that was not resolved until 2023. Experts warn that the design is now outdated, as it relied on traffic projections from 2012 and 2018. This failed to account for the surge in vehicle populations in Delhi, Noida, and Ghaziabad, rendering the original capacity insufficient for current demand.
