Delhi's Rajghat junction on Ring Road to be signal-free with PWD's new plan

THe Public workings section (PWD) testament be workings on a tribulation infrastructure project aimed at making Ring Road signal-free through U-turns at the Rajghat and Shanti Van crossings in central Delhi, officials said on Thursday.The project, estimated at ₹49.02 lakh cost, will help reduce congestion along the stretch.“Complaints were reported about persistent traffic bottlenecks at the two intersections which serves as a major link for commuters travelling between north, central and east Delhi. Both intersections will be closed and extended U-turns will be provided at least 100 metres away to ensure moving traffic,” said an official.Both the crossings witness heavy traffic throughout the day, often resulting in long queues and frequent slowdowns, especially during peak hours, officials added. Traffic police officials had flagged delay at these junctions due to signalised intersections and turning movements that interrupt traffic flow.The proposed infrastructure will focus on implementing a U-turn-based traffic management scheme which involves restricting certain right turns and streamlining vehicle movement through designated turning points. Officials said such interventions are aimed at reducing signal dependency, minimising crossing conflicts and improving average travel speed.“The trial would allow the department to assess the effectiveness of the scheme before considering similar interventions at other congested junctions along Ring Road. Expansion would be based on traffic performance and on-ground assessment after implementation,” said the official.The Ring Road stretch near Rajghat has four lanes in both directions. Experts said that the creating a U-turn is possible with the width of the road but it may have limited impact.“An additional lane is required to create the U-turn, which may not be possible without design changes. However, since the road is wide enough, a U-turn at an appropriate location can be made for the vehicles to crawl through. We cannot say that it will reduce congestion drastically, but can help reduce the waiting time at the red light,” said S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of the traffic engineering and safety division at CSIR-CRRI.Experts also suggest that creating signal-free stretches usually staggers traffic, giving an impression of reducing congestion rather than actually resolving it.Further, the increased vehicle speeds without an intersection or red light makes these stretches unsafe for pedestrians.HT had earlier reported that Ring Road remains one of Delhi’s busiest arterial corridors. Congestion at key intersections often leads to cascading delays across adjoining stretches, affecting travel time.