New Delhi
The Delhi Traffic Police on Tuesday asked the Public Works Department (PWD) for minor changes and alterations to the road infrastructure of three key stretches, the Mehrauli-Gurugram Road, Rohtak Road from Peeragarhi Chowk to Tikri border, and Najafgarh Road from Uttam Nagar Chowk to Ring Road (at Rajouri Garden), to turn them signal-free. Officers aware of the developments said the changes chiefly included creating U-turns to facilitate signal-free movement.
In a letter to PWD’s chief engineer on April 24, traffic police listed suggestions based on a survey undertaken jointly with an NGO.
“Creating offsets of around 100 metres of the road length using jersey and crash barriers or spring posts on both carriageways, starting from the central verge and covering around one lane width till the nose of the cut-in median to steer all the vehicles to middle or left lanes was a key recommendation that the traffic police made before the PWD,” a traffic police officer, not wishing to be named, said, quoting the letter.
In the letter, special commissioner of police (traffic) Ajay Choudhary said surveys were conducted to make the stretches signal-free and congestion-free by implementing U-turns. The key suggestions listed were the closure of central verges of main carriageways at junctions with jersey barriers and opening cut-in median-type U-turns with offsets on both carriageways.
Among other suggestions was the installation of road safety infrastructure, such as median markers, cat eyes, solar-blinking studs, lane markings, transverse-bar markings, and spring posts around the U-turn spots.
Choudhary also sought reflective tapes with a series of left arrows and installation of signboards, such as “U-turn”, “go slow”, “stop and go”, “keep left”, and “compulsory left”, to create awareness on motorists.
The traffic police also asked PWD’s southwest chief engineer to remove the nose of the U-turn from both carriageways of the Ring Road at Brar Square in Delhi Cantonment to curb road mishaps. Deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Rajeev Rawal, in the communique, said: “…before 200 metres of the U-turn, jersey barriers or curve stones (with greenery) may be installed, which would cover the one lane at the edge of the U-turn on both carriageways of the Ring Road towards the direction of the movement of vehicles.”
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