Noida, Ghaziabad commuters alert! Here’s how Delhi govt plans to ease traffic on busy Sarai Kale Khan stretch
The Delhi government is reportedly planning to introduce a decongestion plan for the Sarai Kale Khan stretch on Ring Road, with the aim of reducing traffic congestion towards South Delhi, officials said on Friday.
Why is the focus on the Sarai Kale Khan stretch?
Currently, Sarai Kale Khan sees high footfall, with multiple modes of transport at a single location, and traffic here is likely to worsen in the future.
A Public Works Department (PWD) official told PTI that in the future, the traffic load is likely to increase on the Sarai Kale Khan stretch, as there is a merger of metro, rail and ISBT — all at one point.
The Sarai Kale Khan stretch often witnesses traffic congestion, partly due to commuters travelling from ITO towards Ashram, and many from Noida and Ghaziabad travelling towards South Delhi.
Ongoing infrastructure development work at the transport hub also contributes to a heavy flow of traffic on the stretch of Ring Road near Sarai Kale Khan ISBT.
Traffic from South Delhi heading towards East and North Delhi adds to the congestion.
What is Delhi govt planning to do?
1. Traffic study, hire expert: A high-level coordination committee meeting on traffic congestion was held earlier, during which the Delhi Traffic Police raised concerns about heavy congestion at Sarai Kale Khan.
The PWD, which is the main road-owning agency, has recently also planned a traffic simulation study of entire South Delhi network, including Sarai Kale Khan.
“There have been discussions on carrying a study to address the concerns raised by traffic police; a final decision in this regard is pending,” a Public Works Department (PWD) official told PTI.
“Depending on the requirement, we may hire an expert agency to carry out a feasibility study, just for this stretch, on which kind of intervention is required,” officials was quoted as saying.
2. More skywalks, subways and pedestrian bridges: In the recently approved Master Plan of Delhi 2047, the issues have been recognised, and suggestions have been made to improve traffic management systems in this area and mark them as separate multi-modal transport hubs.
As per the hub plan, different agencies can construct more skywalks, subways and pedestrian bridges for connectivity to facilitate easy movement of pedestrians in the area.
The hubs will promote safety, public interaction and economic activity through cultural and public spaces, official told PTI.
In 2023, with the aim to reduce traffic congestion at Sarai Kale Khan on Ring Road, the PWD constructed a second three-lane flyover.
But given how traffic has continued to grow, officials believe more targeted intervention is now needed.
