Delhi’s first double-decker flyover is nearing completion, but encroachments around Bhajanpura Metro station are creating a bottleneck that could limit the project’s ability to ease congestion on one of East Delhi’s busiest routes, according to a report by Jagran – New Delhi.
The flyover is being constructed between Gokulpuri and Bhajanpura to reduce traffic congestion and make the corridor signal-free. Around 50,000 vehicles travel daily on Wazirabad Road between Ghaziabad, Bhopura, Wazirabad and other parts of Delhi, making the route a significant cross-border commuting link.
The project’s design combines two transport systems within the same structure. The metro will operate on the upper level, while two-wheelers and four-wheelers will use the lower section. The project is being built at a reported cost of Rs 291 crore and was expected to remove the congestion point in Bhajanpura, which has remained a major source of delays in the trans-Yamuna area.
The immediate problem is located where the flyover descends near Bhajanpura Metro station. The station is around 100 metres from the flyover’s end, and the road narrows because street vendors, pushcart operators and shopkeepers have occupied parts of the carriageway and footpath. The resulting reduction in usable road space has led to recurring traffic congestion, including during the construction period.
Traffic movement is also affected by a bottleneck near the metro station. Local residents told the publication that encroachment has continued for a long time, while regular and effective enforcement has not been visible. The report said that barricading installed for construction has not prevented the encroachment from affecting movement along the road.
DCP Traffic, Eastern Range, Shweta Chauhan, said the traffic police had written to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi several times to seek the removal of encroachments. She said that although encroachments had been removed on multiple occasions, they returned. The traffic police also issue challans and seize vehicles involved in illegal parking, according to the report.
The congestion raises an operational issue for the flyover before the project has opened fully. Even if vehicles can move through the elevated section without signal delays, traffic may continue to accumulate at the landing point if the road outside the structure remains narrowed by encroachments, roadside activity and illegal parking.
Clearing the footpath and carriageway, managing parking and organising traffic movement around the metro station will therefore be necessary for the completed flyover to deliver the intended benefit. The traffic police have sought action from the MCD, while enforcement and encroachment removal remain the immediate steps identified in the report.
