New Delhi: Ever since work began on the proposed flyover near Modi Mill, the commute around the construction zone has become a crawl. Due to recurring congestion, traffic police have asked PWD to deploy traffic marshals at the Modi Mill-Kalkaji corridor to keep traffic moving.Work on the flyover began only last month, but the impact is already visible. Fresh barricades have come up opposite Hotel Meriton, while construction machinery occupies part of the carriageway. Vehicles approaching the barricaded stretch are forced to slow sharply, with queues building up. Even in the afternoon, when traffic is usually lighter, vehicles were seen crawling towards the construction zone, with motorists negotiating the narrowed carriageway and traffic building up behind them.The frustration has spilt onto social media, with commuters describing the situation as “utter traffic chaos” at the foot of the Modi Mill flyover and warning that it could worsen as construction progresses.With traffic piling up around the site, traffic police is now looking at an immediate measure to keep vehicles moving. Special CP Traffic Ajay Chaudhary said traffic police had asked PWD to deploy 8-10 traffic marshals at the site near Modi Mill from tomorrow. “We have made a visit with all the stakeholders at the site and the observations have been made clear,” he said.The marshals will assist traffic staff in regulating traffic and ensure the stretch is not further choked by wrong-side driving and encroachments, he said. The aim is to keep vehicles moving through the narrowed carriageway while construction continues and prevent violations from turning into larger traffic jams. Wrong-side movement has emerged as a particular concern there. Vehicles coming from Okhla side often enter from the wrong side to reach Govindpuri, compounding the situation.Rajan Sharma, president, Okhla Industrial Estate Association, said the congestion was increasingly affecting both commuters and industrial traffic. “The stretch has become extremely difficult for commuters and people working in the Okhla industrial area. With construction narrowing the available space, wrong-side driving and traffic coming from Okhla are adding to the chaos. A journey of a few kilometres can now take 30-40 minutes,” he said.Sharma said additional traffic deployment and cameras were also needed to deter wrong-side movement and keep the stretch clear.
