Delhi’s New Barapullah Flyover: How Lane Mergers And Missing Map Data Are Causing Jams

Delhi's much-awaited Barapullah Phase-III flyover, inaugurated on September 29 after a 12-year delay, has run into severe traffic congestion within days of opening. The stretch was expected to cut travel time between East and Central Delhi, but commuters have reported journeys lasting more than an hour.

The 3.5-km elevated corridor connects Mayur Vihar Phase-I on the Noida Link Road with Sarai Kale Khan in southeast Delhi. It merges with the existing Barapullah network and forms a continuous 10-km, signal-free stretch towards the AIIMS roundabout.

What Is Causing The Traffic Jams?

According to the Delhi Traffic Police, a key problem is the way traffic lanes merge along the route. As India Today reported, At two points between Mayur Vihar and AIIMS, two separate stretches of three lanes each merge into a single three-lane road. This creates two major bottlenecks, resulting in slow-moving traffic and, at times, near standstill conditions.

The first bottleneck is near Sarai Kale Khan. The newly opened Phase-III flyover has three lanes, but where it meets the existing Barapullah corridor, another three-lane road converges with it. The two stretches are then narrowed into a single three-lane road.

Another three-lane road further ahead brings traffic from the Ashram and DND side onto the corridor, adding to the volume of vehicles.

A joint inspection by traffic police and Public Works Department officials on October 1 identified the problem. A drone survey also showed multiple traffic streams converging within a limited road width.

Is Google Maps Making The Problem Worse?

The Delhi Traffic Police has also said that delays in Google Maps displaying traffic data on the newly opened route are adding to the congestion.

The traffic situation on the Phase-III stretch is reportedly not being accurately reflected on the app. As a result, commuters continue to select the route, increasing the number of vehicles approaching the two bottlenecks near Sarai Kale Khan.

The map shows the Phase-III stretch without traffic data, while the first bottleneck can be seen where two three-lane roads merge into one.

Police have diverted traffic from Phase-III towards NH-24/DND and advised commuters to use alternate routes.

According to an answer on Google's support forum, search and navigation features for newly opened roads and routes can take around a week to stabilise.

Is The Flyover's Design Also A Problem?

Traffic police have pointed to the physical design of the junction as another concern. The new flyover meets the existing Barapullah flyover near Sundial Park through a relatively sharp or rectangular alignment instead of a smooth curve. According to the traffic police, this creates an abrupt merging movement rather than allowing traffic to merge gradually.

The traffic police has asked the PWD to redesign the merger instead of relying only on traffic enforcement and diversions, reported India Today.

What Was The Flyover Expected To Do?

The Phase-III project was intended to improve connectivity between Mayur Vihar Phase-I and Sarai Kale Khan and provide a direct link towards the existing Barapullah corridor.

For commuters travelling towards AIIMS, the journey was expected to fall from around 35-40 minutes to nearly 15 minutes through the elevated, largely signal-free route.

The project was also intended to reduce pressure on the Delhi-Noida Direct Flyway and Akshardham stretches.

However, by Thursday evening, commuters travelling the nearly 8-km stretch between Safdarjung Hospital and Sarai Kale Khan were taking more than an hour. The revised cost of the project is around ₹1,635 crore.