Terrible traffic jam in Lutyens’ Delhi amid INDIA bloc march

New Delhi: Barricades, diversions and security restrictions turned key roads in Lutyens’ Delhi into long stretches of slow-moving traffic on Tuesday, as the INDIA bloc’s march towards the Election Commission disrupted movement across the New Delhi area.

From India Gate and Connaught Place to Parliament Street and Jantar Mantar, bumper-to-bumper traffic built up on several stretches, with vehicles inching forward amid diversions and intermittent stoppages. At several points, long queues spilled back onto adjoining roads as motorists struggled to find alternate routes through the heavily barricaded area.

The congestion left commuters stranded for prolonged periods, with several saying they were stuck for at least an hour. Some commuters abandoned their vehicles and switched to the Metro or walked to reach destinations in central Delhi, while visuals showed vehicles packed tightly along stretches affected by the restrictions.

Traffic was severely affected on the Connaught Place, Patel Chowk, Rafi Marg, Parliament Street stretch, Motilal Nehru Marg, Teen Murti Marg, Prithviraj Road, Windsor Place, Ashoka Road, and Jantar Mantar Road.

“Traffic was moving at almost zero speed and the queue barely moved. We were stuck for nearly an hour before some of us decided to get down and take the Metro instead,” a commuter stuck on Ashoka Road said.

Traffic was also affected across the New Delhi area, with movement hit on Krishna Menon Marg, Rajpath and Circular Road, while heavy congestion was reported at several roundabouts around India Gate. Another commuter reported a complete traffic jam from Mori Gate roundabout towards Hamilton Road and Pul Dufferin rail over bridge.

Another commuter said roads around India Gate were heavily congested, with restrictions and diversions on several routes making it difficult to move between adjoining areas.