The closure of both carriageways of Sardar Patel Marg for the Bloomberg New Economy Forum triggered traffic snarls around Dhaula Kuan and pushed congestion onto several major roads in central Delhi on Tuesday, according to the Times of India. Vehicles piled up on alternative routes as traffic was diverted away from the closed corridor.
The disruption extended to Vande Mataram Marg and the Golden Quadrilateral carriageway merging with Ring Road. Traffic movement was also affected around Jantar Mantar, where heavy barricades remained in place amid protests in the city since the beginning of October.
The closure has increased pressure on roads carrying traffic towards and around Connaught Place. Ashoka Road, between the Gol Dak Khana roundabout and the Jantar Mantar roundabout, witnessed snarls, while both carriageways of Sansad Marg between Connaught Place’s Outer Circle and the Ashoka Road roundabout were closed.
Commuters used Baba Kharak Singh Marg as an alternative route, adding to pressure on the road network. Traffic was also moving slowly on Janpath towards Connaught Place, Kasturba Gandhi Marg and Barakhamba Road, according to the report.
The traffic impact reflects how closures on key arterial roads can quickly transfer congestion to parallel corridors. Sardar Patel Marg connects the Dhaula Kuan area with central Delhi, while the affected roads around Connaught Place serve as important links for traffic entering and moving through the central business and administrative district.
The traffic police are considering dynamic restrictions and diversions that could affect at least 22 stretches in central Delhi. If implemented, those measures would alter traffic movement across a wider network than the roads directly affected by the SP Marg and Sansad Marg closures.
The current restrictions have therefore created a moving traffic-management challenge rather than a disruption limited to one road. Authorities will need to manage vehicles on diversion routes while maintaining access through the central Delhi network during the forum and amid continuing barricading around protest-affected areas.
