The Phase III flyover has three lanes, while the existing corridor narrows to two lanes at the merger. Another three lanes carrying traffic from Sundial towards Sarai Kale Khan and Ring Road, along with three lanes from the Ashram and DND side, also converge at the same location, creating a substantial mismatch between incoming traffic and downstream capacity.
The flyover was opened to the public last week, but traffic conditions deteriorated soon afterwards. Commuters travelling the nearly 8-km stretch between Safdarjung Hospital and Sarai Kale Khan were taking more than an hour by Thursday evening, according to officials. A joint inspection by senior traffic police and PWD officials on October 1 identified problems involving the junction’s geometry and traffic flow.
A drone survey carried out by the traffic police showed several traffic streams converging within a limited road width. The police said the new flyover meets the existing corridor through a relatively sharp or rectangular alignment instead of a smooth curve, forcing vehicles from different directions to merge abruptly and creating recurring choke points.
The traffic police has asked the PWD to undertake engineering changes rather than rely only on enforcement and traffic regulation. The intervention follows the opening of a stretch intended to improve connectivity between south Delhi, Mayur Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan, while reducing pressure on existing arterial roads. Officials said corrective work at the Sundial merger would be needed to ensure the added capacity improves traffic movement instead of transferring congestion to the junction.