Due to the impending Kanwar Yatra, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway will be closed for five days beginning on July 28. There may be delays due to this closure, impacting traffic between Delhi and Meerut.

Known by another name, National Expressway 3, this 96-kilometer controlled-access route contributes to the reduction of two-hour and thirty-minute travel time between Delhi and Meerut. However, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway’s entire Ghaziabad section would be blocked due to the impending festival, which could cause traffic congestion throughout the Delhi-NCR area.

Everything about detours for traffic on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway

Vehicles will not be allowed to enter the Ghaziabad section of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway between July 28 and August 4, 2024. This section runs from the UP Gate at the Delhi border to the Kashi toll plaza near the Meerut border. According to The Times of India, authorities are putting a traffic diversion strategy into action to control the shutdown of all six lanes of the expressway.

To reduce congestion, traffic would be rerouted onto NH-9, the Noida Expressway, the Delhi-Noida-Direct Flyway, and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE). Due to the high volume of Kanwariyas traveling the Delhi-Meerut road during the festival, which usually causes major traffic in the Delhi-NCR region and adjacent areas, this closure is required.

Potential traffic bottlenecks and delays can be expected on three major routes – the Pipeline Road from Loni Border to Niwari, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, and the NH-34 route via GT Road.

The diversion of traffic by the police authorities will be in the following phases:

July 22-24: Trucks and buses will be diverted to EPE and NH-9. Light vehicles can still use the expressway and NH-58.

July 25-28: Light vehicles will be restricted to the left side of the expressway, with the remaining lanes dedicated to Kanwariyas.

July 29-August 4: Complete closure of Delhi-Meerut Expressway and NH-58.