Flyover clears up snarls in Ashram, but traffic clogs DND loop to Noida

NOIDA: The 1.4-km Ashram flyover extension has significantly eased commute between Noida and Delhi but a cascading impact of the traffic volume from Ashram Chowk is leading to logjams on the Delhi-Noida Direct Flyway loop entering Noida.
The flyover extension, which was opened to the public by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday, decongests three main intersections - Maharani Bagh intersection, Ring Road-DND junction and Ring Road loop towards Sarai Kale Khan. It also bypasses three traffic lights between Ashram Chowk and DND flyway, making vehicular movement smoother. But the road constricts after crossing the toll plaza on the DND flyway towards Noida.
From the toll plaza, the eight-lane DND flyway narrows down to three lanes as it goes towards Sector 16 in Noida. The two loops at the intersection - one towards Noida's Sector 14-A and Delhi's Mayur Vihar and the other connects with the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway for Film City and Greater Noida - has two lanes each that fail to accommodate traffic coming in from the capital. More than one lakh vehicles enter Noida from the capital daily through the DND flyway. An estimated 50,000-60,000 vehicles use it on weekends. Noida resident Gaurav Kumar said with the opening of the Ashram flyover extension it seemed that traffic jams at Ashram intersection had shifted to Noida. "Earlier, we used to face congestion at Ashram Chowk. And now, there is a traffic jam at the DND Flyway loop. Authorities should take some measures to ease the situation," he said. When approached, Gautam Budh Nagar DCP (traffic) Anil Kumar Yadav said the city traffic police will deploy personnel at the loops and talk to their counterpart in Delhi to see if the Noida-bound traffic can be streamlined into two lanes.
"Ashram Flyover extension opened on Monday and the jam has shifted towards Noida. When the flyover was closed, many people took the Chilla Road and Kalindi Kunj Road and avoided DND Flyway due to congestion at the Ashram intersection. Now, these commuters have also started using the DND Flyway. This has significantly increased traffic pressure in Noida. We will talk to the Delhi police to see if the Noida-bound traffic can be streamlined in two lanes," he said. The traffic department also plans to streamline Noida-bound traffic so that the loops do not choke during peak hours.