The Delhi Traffic Police has begun trials of two designated U-turns near the DND crossing and Mayur Vihar to reduce peak-hour congestion, with the intersection likely to be closed after Diwali if the revised traffic plan proves effective.
The junction on UP Link Road is a key route for commuters travelling between Noida and east Delhi. It also connects traffic from several residential areas and surrounding roads. During busy periods, vehicles travelling in different directions converge at the crossing, causing traffic to slow and queues to build.
The first trial is under way at a U-turn near Star City Mall in Mayur Vihar. Traffic officials are monitoring vehicle speeds, traffic volumes and pressure during peak hours. They are also assessing whether motorists can negotiate the turn safely and whether the revised arrangement allows vehicles to move more smoothly.
A second trial is scheduled to begin next week at an existing U-turn near the DND intersection. The turn is being reorganised to accommodate more vehicles. According to the traffic police, the two locations will separate turning movements that currently converge at the crossing.
Traffic towards Star City crossing often slows because vehicles heading in the opposite direction also reach the same stretch, an issue that results in bunching and delays. Under the proposed arrangement, vehicles travelling from Noida and DND towards Crown Plaza hotel, Ghazipur Road, New Ashok Nagar, Chilla village, Trilokpuri and Vasundhara Enclave will use the U-turn near the mall if the crossing is closed.
Vehicles travelling from New Ashok Nagar and Trilokpuri towards DND or Akshardham will use the older U-turn near the intersection. The revised system will therefore replace direct movement through the crossing with designated turning points, changing the way traffic enters and leaves the junction.
DCP (east) traffic Shweta Singh Chauhan said the plan was intended to replace direct cross movement through the mall and DND crossing with designated turning points. She said the arrangement could make turning movements smoother and help reduce accidents by removing direct cross traffic, while noting that commuters could experience changes in the distance and time required to reach their destinations.
The traffic police will use the trial period to assess how the two U-turns handle peak-hour demand and whether the new movement pattern creates operational difficulties. The evaluation is being conducted under the supervision of traffic inspector Surender Kumar and ACP Amreek Singh.
The final decision on closing the intersection and implementing the revised arrangement will be taken after traffic flow is reviewed following Diwali.
