Traffic streamlined on Delhi Meerut Expressway, three exits shut near Chipiyana ROB

To streamline the flow of traffic on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME), the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has closed three exits near the newly constructed Chipiyana rail overbridge (ROB).

The three exits were present within a distance of about two kilometres on the DME near the new ROB and they were opened to ease the flow of traffic when the ROB, the last pending structure on the DME, was under construction.

“The three exits have been closed to streamline the flow of traffic on the expressway and the highway lanes of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. Now that the new ROB is also open to commuters, a total of 16 lanes are available for traffic,” said Puneet Khanna, manager (technical), NHAI.

The expressway comprises the inner three lanes on each side, while the outer four lanes on each side are highway lanes. Commuters get two additional lanes at the Chipyana ROB area.

According to NHAI estimates, the ROB area sees a volume of about 40,000 passenger car units per day and with the closure of the three exits, the haphazard traffic conditions near the ROB will end. Commuters coming from Delhi via the expressway lanes will now have a regular exit only in Dasna.

“The exits on the expressway are now regularised while the highway traffic can flow separately. With the new ROB opened, the toll fare on the highway lanes towards Hapur has also been hiked — until now we were charging only 75% of the toll, as the construction of the ROB was pending,” Khanna said.

The commuters said the chaotic traffic conditions near the ROB has ended after the three exits were closed.

“The traffic flow is now streamlined. Otherwise, vehicles coming in from Delhi would take wrong turns at the exits and that hindered the traffic flow on the other side. The opening of the new ROB has also eradicated the frequent snarls near the ROB,” said Namita Gaur, resident of nearby Crossings Republik township.

The new ROB was scheduled to open in December last year but got delayed due to a change in design and other construction related issues.

The 59.77km, 14-lane DME comprises three phases — phase 1 links Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi and UP Gate in Ghaziabad, phase 2 connects UP Gate and Dasna in Ghaziabad, while phase 4, a six-lane 32km access-controlled expressway, connects Dasna to Meerut. Phase 3 links Dasna in Ghaziabad to Hapur and the stretch is already operational.

The DME is now operating with regular entry/exit points in Sarai Kale Khan, Indirapuram, Dundahera (Vijay Nagar), Dasna, Rasoolpur Sikrod, Bhojpur and main toll plaza at Kashi in Meerut.