As Capital gears up for BRICS, Central Delhi likely to see snarls amid VVIP movement

Preparations underway in the city ahead of the summit. (Abhinav Saha)

A quick stop at Janpath or sightseeing at India Gate — commuters and Delhi residents may have to reconsider their weekend plans as the Capital hosts the BRICS Summit this weekend.

Starting Friday, nearly every road going towards the lush lanes of Central Delhi is set to see VVIP movement as dignitaries from member countries arrive in the Capital.

Even as Friday has been declared as holiday at Central government offices and many private firms have considered work-from-home for their employees to reduce the traffic load on roads, long convoys of invitees and the VVIPS are expected to be on the arterial routes.

Maximum activity is expected around Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the event.

Lutyens Delhi and South Delhi areas — especially the ones in proximity to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA)— are expected to see congestion. The route from the IGIA towards Dhaula Kuan is also expected to witness snarls.

Preparations underway in the city ahead of the summit. (Abhinav Saha)

For airport-bound travellers

Airport-bound commuters have been advised to consider Metro services for commuting.

Passengers travelling from Gurgaon towards terminals T3, T4 and T2 have been urged to take NH-48, Rao Gajraj Singh Marg, Old Delhi Gurugram Road, UER-II and the service road on NH-48 before approaching the terminal.

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For T1, the suggested route includes NH-48, the Mahipalpur Flyover and T-3 Road/NH-48–Ulan Batar Marg–T-1 Road.

From Dwarka, commuters heading to the airport have been advised to use Sector-22 Dwarka Road and UER-II, including the newly operated tunnel towards T3.

For travellers coming from New Delhi and South Delhi, suggested approaches include AIIMS Chowk, Ring Road, Moti Bagh Chowk, RTR Marg, Shankar Vihar Flyover, Sanjay T-Point, the service road on NH-48 and the Mahipalpur Flyover/Rangpuri corridor.

Separate routes have also been issued for travellers from West, North and East Delhi.

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Preparations underway in the city ahead of the summit. (Express Photo by Gajendra Yadav)

22 diversion points across city

Among the key areas where traffic movement is likely to be affected at The Teen Murti Marg, Akbar Road —which passes past the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs—-C Hexagon, which leads to India Gate, along with Teen Murti Marg, Mother Teresa Crescent, Sardar Patel Marg and Janpath, one of Delhi’s most popular shopping hubs.

The Delhi Traffic Police has identified 22 diversion points.

These include Dr Dinesh Nandini Dalmia Chowk (W-Point), Ram Charan Aggarwal Chowk (A-Point), Guru Nanak Chowk, KG Marg/Outer Circle, Janpath, Patel Chowk, RML Hospital, Vande Mataram Marg/Simon Bolivar Marg, Dhaula Kuan Flyover and Moti Bagh Flyover.

For those headed to the New Delhi Railway station from Dhaula Kuan, it has been recommended to take the Vande Mataram Marg to Panchkuian Road to Outer Circle Connaught Place and then take either the Chelmsford Road (Paharganj side) or Minto Road to Bhavbhuti Marg (Ajmeri Gate side).

In order to go to the Old Delhi Railway station, the best route is to go through the Vande Matram Marg to Dr Ambedkar Marg to Rani Jhansi Marg and then take the Rani Jhansi Flyover to reach Boulevard Road to Lothiyan Marg.  The area around 200 meters of the ‘controlled roads’ would be prohibited from parking.

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Where to get updates

The Delhi Traffic Police has asked commuters to follow its official advisories and social-media updates during the summit period.

For assistance, commuters can contact the Delhi Traffic Police helpline at 1095.

The Traffic Police has also provided a WhatsApp number — 8750871493 — for traffic-related assistance and reporting.