Six lanes to two: What Barapullah can learn from traffic solutions abroad

The Barapullah Phase 3 flyover, completed in 2026 after nine years of construction delays, is facing a new bottleneck. Initially designed to accommodate six lanes merging into a three-lane carriageway, the road now merges into a two-lane flyover, causing congestion. Urban practitioner Hitesh Vaidya explains that a flyover merely relocates traffic to a higher level rather than resolving congestion.

Other countries have adopted alternative methods; in the UK, Hard Shoulder Running (HSR) and Variable Mandatory Speed Limit (VMS) systems have been effective, reducing travel times and accidents. India could benefit from better traffic planning and investment in public transport instead of building more flyovers. Prof P S N Rao suggests that a detailed survey of traffic volume and movement is necessary, and that bolstering public transport like Metro lines would be more effective than constructing additional flyovers.

The current Delhi Police solution involves barricades, an extra traffic light, and manual lane management, but experts argue that a more comprehensive approach is needed.