The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway carriageway from Jaitpur towards Maharani Bagh and Sarai Kale Khan has been reopened to traffic, restoring a key route for commuters travelling from Faridabad into Delhi after it was closed because of rising congestion and traffic-management concerns.
The three-lane carriageway had been shut following a recommendation from the Delhi Traffic Police. The closure came after the route, which had opened on the night of 1 September, increased traffic pressure near Sarai Kale Khan and lengthened the time vehicles spent in congestion.
The reopening follows safety-related measures at the expressway exit and adjoining junction. According to the report, NHAI said a road safety audit conducted in May had found the route and junction safe from a traffic-operations perspective. However, the Delhi Traffic Police had raised concerns about the movement of fast-moving and heavy traffic from the expressway into the existing Ring Road traffic system.
The traffic police identified the junction near Maharani Bagh as sensitive from a road-safety standpoint. Vehicles leaving the expressway merge suddenly with traffic on the Ring Road before splitting towards New Friends Colony and the Ashram Flyover. This movement creates several potential conflict points, particularly during peak hours, and makes traffic management more difficult.
Following the traffic police’s objections, NHAI installed rumble strips at the location. These are intended to slow vehicles leaving the expressway towards Maharani Bagh and the Ashram Flyover. Rumble strips have also been installed on the loop used by vehicles approaching from the Sarai Kale Khan side, according to the report.
The route’s reopening is expected to make travel from Faridabad towards central Delhi easier, but it will also increase the volume of vehicles reaching Sarai Kale Khan. The Delhi Traffic Police will monitor traffic conditions at the location and may take immediate measures if movement deteriorates.
Possible measures include increasing the number of traffic personnel at the junction and preventing vehicles visiting a CNG station from stopping or parking on the road. The traffic police had earlier recommended closure of the carriageway after observing the effect of increased vehicle pressure and longer congestion periods.
The reopening places renewed operational responsibility on both NHAI and the Delhi Traffic Police. NHAI has cited the road safety audit and the newly installed rumble strips, while the traffic police will monitor whether the junction can handle the additional traffic without creating fresh congestion or safety risks. Further interventions will depend on conditions observed at the location after the carriageway resumes regular use.
