Roads Around Red Fort Closed: Delhi Traffic Advisory For Independence Day Rehearsals

Traffic restrictions will be imposed in parts of Delhi on August 13 in view of the full- dress rehearsal for the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, with several key roads closed and commercial vehicles and buses diverted, according to a traffic advisory.

The rehearsal for the Independence Day ceremony, to be held at the Red Fort on August 15, will be conducted on August 13. The restrictions have been put in place for security and traffic management around the Red Fort.

According to the advisory, roads around the Red Fort will remain closed to general traffic from 4 am to 10 am on August 13. Only vehicles carrying valid rehearsal labels will be permitted on these stretches.

The affected roads include Netaji Subhash Marg from Delhi Gate to Chatta Rail Chowk, Lothian Road from GPO Delhi to Chatta Rail Chowk, S P Mukherjee Marg from H C Sen Marg to Yamuna Bazar Chowk, Chandni Chowk Road from Fountain Chowk to Red Fort, Nishad Raj Marg from Ring Road to Netaji Subhash Marg, Esplanade Road and its link road to Netaji Subhash Marg, and Ring Road between Rajghat and ISBT.

The traffic police have advised vehicles without parking labels for the rehearsal to avoid India Gate C-Hexagon, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, Sikandra Road, W-Point, A-Point Tilak Marg, Mathura Road, BSZ Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg and J L Nehru Marg.

Commuters have also been advised to avoid Ring Road between Nizamuddin Khatta and ISBT Kashmere Gate, and the Outer Ring Road stretch between Nizamuddin Khatta and ISBT Kashmere Gate via the Salimgarh bypass during the restricted period.

For north-south movement, commuters can use Aurobindo Marg, Safdarjung Road, Kamal Ataturk Marg, Kautilya Marg, S Marg, 11 Murti, Mother Teresa Crescent, Park Street, Mandir Marg, Panchkuian Road and Rani Jhansi Road, according to the advisory.

Another alternative route is available through Connaught Place, Minto Road, Bhavbhuti Marg, Ajmeri Gate, Shradhanand Marg, Lahori Gate Chowk, Naya Bazar, Peeli Kothi and S P Mukherjee Marg up to the ODRS.

Motorists can also cross the Yamuna through Nizamuddin Bridge and take Pushta Road, GT Road and Yudhister Setu to reach ISBT and northern Delhi, the advisory read.

For east-west movement, the traffic police have suggested routes through NH-24/NH-9, Nizamuddin Khatta, Barapulla Road and Ring Road. Vehicles from DND can take Barapulla Road or proceed via Ashram on Ring Road.

Other alternatives include Vikas Marg, IP Marg, DDU Marg and Minto Road before proceeding through Connaught Place or Ajmeri Gate. Pushta Road, GT Road and Yudhister Setu can also be used to reach ISBT Kashmere Gate.

The DND-NH-24/NH-9-Yudhister Setu-Signature Bridge-Wazirabad Bridge route will remain open for reaching Ring Road.

However, the Old Iron Bridge and Geeta Colony Bridge towards Shanti Van will remain closed.

The movement of goods vehicles will be restricted between Nizamuddin Khatta and Wazirabad Bridge from midnight on August 12 until 11 am on August 13.

Interstate buses will not be allowed between Maharana Pratap ISBT and Sarai Kale Khan ISBT during the same period.

Local city buses, including DTC buses, will not operate on Ring Road between ISBT Kashmere Gate and the NH-24/NH-9 or NH 'T' point at Nizamuddin Khatta from midnight to 11 am and will take alternative routes.

Several roads will also remain closed to inter-city and DTC buses during this period, including Lothian Road, Netaji Subhash Marg, S P Mukherjee Marg, Ring Road between Nizamuddin Khatta and the northern loop of ISBT Kashmere Gate, and stretches around C-Hexagon, Sher Shah Road, Dr Zakir Hussain Road, Pandara Road, Shahjahan Road, Akbar Road, Rajpath, Ashoka Road, KG Marg, Copernicus Marg, Tilak Marg, Purana Quila Road, Sikandra Road, Bhagwan Dass Road and BSZ Marg, it read.

Restrictions will also apply on Ashoka Road between Windsor Place and C-Hexagon, KG Marg between Ferozeshah Road and C-Hexagon, Vikas Marg beyond the loop towards Delhi Secretariat, and Mathura Road between Ashram Chowk and W Point.

Buses normally terminating at Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Delhi Main Railway Station will be curtailed at designated points. Buses approaching from south and west Delhi will terminate opposite Ramlila Ground on J L N Marg, while those coming from north, northwest and east Delhi will be curtailed at Mori Gate and Tis Hazari. Buses approaching from north Delhi via Ring Road will terminate at Boulevard Road opposite Maharaja Agrasen Park.

Normal bus services are expected to resume after 11 am on August 13.

The traffic police have provided specific routes for passengers travelling to Old Delhi Railway Station, New Delhi Railway Station and ISBT Kashmere Gate.

Those travelling to Old Delhi Railway Station from west and south Delhi can use Mother Teresa Crescent, Park Street, Mandir Marg, Panchkuian Road, Rani Jhansi Flyover, Azad Market, Boulevard Road, Mori Gate, Pul Dufferin and S P Mukherjee Marg.

From the north, commuters can use Mori Gate, Pul Dufferin and S P Mukherjee Marg, while those coming from east and northeast Delhi can use Pushta Road, Yudhister Setu, Mori Gate, Pul Dufferin and S P Mukherjee Marg.

For New Delhi Railway Station, commuters from the east can use Vikas Marg, DDU Marg and Bhavbhuti Marg.

Those from the northeast and north can use Yudhister Setu, Rani Jhansi Road, DBG Road and related routes. Commuters from the west can use Pusa Road, Hanuman Murti, Panchkuian Road, Connaught Place and Chelmsford Road, while those from the south can approach through Connaught Place and Chelmsford Road or DBG Road.

There is no restriction on reaching LNJP Hospital. Kasturba Hospital can be approached through Ajmeri Gate, Ajmeri Bazar, Hauz Qazi, Chawri Bazar, Barsha Bullah and Urdu Bazar, according to the advisory.

Several detailed diversions have also been prescribed for buses from Trans-Yamuna, Vikas Marg, Baraf Khana, Ajmeri Gate, Minto Bridge, Mall Road and south Delhi.

Buses from GT Road/ISBT Kashmere Gate bound for Kauria Pul, Red Fort or Old Delhi Railway Station will operate via Yudhister Setu and terminate near Mori Gate on Boulevard Road. Buses bound for New Delhi, Connaught Place and Central Secretariat will use the ISBT Bridge, Boulevard Road, Rani Jhansi Flyover, Rani Jhansi Road, Mandir Marg, Peshwa Road, Gole Market and Shivaji Stadium/Central Secretariat terminals.

Buses from Vikas Marg heading towards north Delhi will use Marginal Bandh Road, GT Road, Shastri Park, ISBT Bridge and Boulevard Road, while those bound for south Delhi will use Mother Dairy Road, NH-24 and Nizamuddin Bridge towards Ashram Chowk.

Buses coming from Roshanara Road towards Old Delhi Railway Station will terminate inside Tis Hazari Courts, while buses from Old Rohtak Road and New Rohtak Road will terminate at Mori Gate or designated points on Gokhale Marg. Private and mini buses will terminate at the MCD car parking area at Mori Gate.

Buses from Ajmeri Gate and Minto Bridge heading towards Old Delhi Railway Station, Red Fort, ISBT and other central destinations will terminate opposite Turkman Gate on Asaf Ali Road. Buses from Mall Road will terminate on Boulevard Road up to Mori Gate.

Buses from south Delhi heading towards Red Fort and Old Delhi Railway Station will be diverted through Ring Road, NH-24, Marginal Bandh Road and the new ISBT Bridge before terminating on Boulevard Road. Those heading towards Connaught Place will use Upper Ridge Road, Karol Bagh, Jhandewalan, Panchkuian Road and Shivaji Stadium.

Interstate buses from Ghaziabad will use Bhopura Chungi Road, Wazirabad Road and Chandgi Ram Akhara before entering ISBT. Buses from Dhaula Kuan will use Ring Road, Punjabi Bagh, Azadpur and Chandgi Ram Akhara. Buses from Faridabad may terminate at Sarai Kale Khan or take the Ring Road route towards ISBT.

For outgoing interstate buses, vehicles will not be allowed to take a U-turn at the northern loop of Ring Road near Budh Vihar.

Buses bound for Loni will proceed via Wazirabad Bridge, while those heading towards Ghaziabad will use ISBT Bridge. DTC recovery vans will be stationed from 5 am on August 13 at Gokhale Marg, Ghata Masjid, Yamuna Bazar, Delhi Gate and Chatta Rail Chowk until the diversions are cleared.

The traffic police have advised the public to reach their destinations early and avoid last-minute rush.

As part of the security arrangements, people have been advised not to carry cameras, binoculars, remote-control car keys, umbrellas, handbags, briefcases, transistors, cigarette lighters, tiffin boxes, water bottles and similar items.

They have also been asked not to touch suspicious objects and to immediately inform the nearest policeman about any unidentified object, suspicious movement or unusual activity.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)