The festive spirit was tested today as Gurugram’s main arteries were crippled by an unprecedented holiday rush, leaving thousands of commuters frustrated in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
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The Bottlenecks:
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Sirhaul Border: The entry and exit points between Delhi and Gurugram saw massive pile-ups. A spillover from congestion in Delhi’s Mahipalpur area further slowed the flow on NH-48.
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Kherki Daula Toll: Although the toll plaza is slated for relocation to Pachgaon by the end of October, it remained a major pinch point today. Long queues were seen despite the use of FASTag, as heavy vehicle movement increased for the weekend.
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Commuter Woes: Many residents took to social media to share “red mode” Google Maps screenshots. A journey from Cyber City to Manesar, which usually takes 40 minutes, reportedly took over 130 minutes for many. “I’ve been stuck at the same spot for 45 minutes. The festive joy is being sucked away by this gridlock,” shared a commuter on X.
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Infrastructure Context:
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Toll Relocation: Authorities confirmed that the Kherki Daula toll shifting to a 12-lane Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) system at Pachgaon is on track for completion this month, which is expected to prevent such jams in the future.
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Upgrades: NHAI is currently in the process of a ₹160 crore resurfacing project for the expressway, though major work has been paused to minimize festive disruption.
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Police Deployment: Over 200 traffic personnel were deployed across the stretch from Sirhaul to Kherki Daula. Officers were seen manually guiding vehicles into different lanes to prevent “bottlenecking” at the merging points of the Dwarka Expressway.
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Alternative Transport: The heavy road congestion led to a significant spike in Delhi Metro ridership, with the Yellow Line stations at MG Road and HUDA City Centre seeing “footfall levels similar to peak office hours” late into the evening.
Traffic Advisory: Gurugram Traffic Police have advised those traveling toward Jaipur or Manesar to use the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) or the Dwarka Expressway as alternative routes to bypass the main NH-48 congestion points. Travel during early morning hours (before 7 AM) is recommended for those leaving the city tomorrow.
