Bumper-to-bumper traffic on Monday clogged roads near the Ashram flyover that has been closed for 45 days for the construction of a link-artery, officials said. Some commuters took to Twitter to share photos of jams, while many travelling on the route, during the peak hours, claimed they spent around half an hour to cross the section.
There is heavy traffic in the area, the officials said and added that several people called police to report jams. The traffic police had earlier advised people to park only at designated places and plan their journeys, especially if they were going to hospitals, bus terminals, railway stations and airports, owing to the flyover's closure.
Traffic coming from the Outer Ring Road, both sides of the carriageways passing through the Ashram Chowk, DND flyover, Mathura road and Noida bore the brunt. "From January 1, both the carriageways of the Ashram flyover will be closed due to the construction of a connecting road between the Ashram flyover and new DND flyover," the traffic police had said in a statement.
"The movement of traffic may be restricted and diverted accordingly from the roads and stretches connecting the Ashram flyover, both side carriageways passing through Ashram Chowk, DND flyover and Mathura Road," it had said. During this period, both carriageways of the ring road on the underside of the flyover will be operational, the traffic police had said.
The traffic police has suggested alternative routes to people. Commuters coming from the Badarpur side are advised to follow Mata Mandir Marg for Ring Road and Sarai Kale Khan, and commuters coming from Badarpur, Sarita Vihar and Jamia side are advised to follow U-turn for Captain Gaur Marg, Lajpat Nagar, AIIMS, they said.
