RTR Flyover traffic management at Outer Ring Road (Rao Tula Ram Marg).

Sir,

I would like to attract your attention towards daily traffic jam at Outer Ring Road (Rao Tula Ram Marg). Since the RTR flyover has been made 2 way there is ALWAYS traffic jam at both the entry points. Despite PWD spending Rs.80 crores it has virtually become a punishment for commuters to pass thru this stretch. The flyover was originally designed for traffic bound to Muniraka and under it can best serve the same purpose. The present arrangement has resulted in wastage of ONE FULL LANE because the 3 lane bridge is being used for 2 lanes. The potential of 2 lanes have also been crippled significantly because of restricted space as if the movement is in a tunnel.

  

Moreover I would like to mention that the moment traffic load on any road increases it impacts the whole traffic and not only the extra (load) traffic similar is the case with this flyover. By making it one line entry, the load on both the entry points has been increased substantially resulting in long waiting time for each vehicle.

It’s not a new thing for traffic police to do experiments with traffic with an idea to improve the flow but it is not necessary that all the new ideas would succeed. In case the new plan does not work it should be reviewed in a logical manner.

I must state that at present the biggest bottleneck on this route both ways is this flyover itself, had the road at ground would have 3 more lanes there would have been no traffic jam. Instead of putting it to constructive usage, the present traffic plan itself has become a problem and made this bridge a bottleneck.

While making it 2 way is a surety of continued traffic jam at both ends, converting it to one way to head towards Muniraka is a surety that there will never be traffic jam on this side and at other side also there will be relief from jam for at least 50% time. I forward following logic so substantiate my above argument:

a)    The over bridge is having 3 lanes but under present traffic management only 2 lanes can be used. The III lane is totally going waste leading to huge waste of precious road space.

b)   Under present system there is always anarchy at entry point of bridge on both locations leading to avoidable waste,

c)    As the enough road space is available the traffic heading towards NH-8 can still be given a signal free passage on ground by dedicating the left most lane for it. Photograph on reverse shows the idle road space.

d)    If the bridge is returned to original shape and reserved for traffic heading to Muniraka, there will be a significant saving

          i) of road space first because all the 3 lanes would be utilized and second by eliminating waiting time at entry point of bridge,

i)             of length of ‘green light time’ under the bridge which can be allotted to traffic heading towards NH-8 & taking a right turn towards RTR,

iii)           This additional right turn has 3 times more effective due to 3 lanes at ground as compared to one lane at flyover.

e)    Many times I have seen that cars heading towards NH-8 make long Q to enter the bridge while the straight going road below the bridge remains empty – leading to total waste of time & energy,

f)     On such type of road conditions where traffic has to take a right turn at T point below the bridge, traffic from opposite side runs over the bridge. This was in fact the original design and can best serve the basic purpose of this bridge costing Rs.80 crores.

g)    The bridge is not designed to move traffic towards NH-8 because in any case the traffic underneath has to take a right turn which shall block the traffic coming from opposite side – thus defeating the very purpose of bridge,

h)    In addition to this Palam Marg (Service Lane) can also be connected with main road to have a better utilization.

i)     The single lane, at present, has restricted the speed of traffic of flyover. There is entry waiting time, on mid of flyover you need to apply brake & while exit as well there is very slow speed. All this is because of single lane.

I strongly request that a serious review is required by TP to restore the flyover in original position for which it was designed and can at best serve the purpose.

Thanks.

  

(S K Goyal)

D-103, Shivam Apts,

Plot-14, Sec-12, Dwarka,

New Delhi-110075.