Red Fort rehearsal causes traffic delays in central and east Delhi

Delhi’s morning rush ran into Independence Day rehearsal restrictions on Thursday, with long vehicle queues building around Red Fort and on the Delhi-Dehradun highway.

Heavy vehicles were barred from the highway from 10 p.m. on Wednesday until 11 a.m. on Thursday. Traffic remained slow after the restriction lifted as the backlog cleared. In central Delhi, closures and diversions near Red Fort disrupted routes used by people travelling to offices, schools and railway stations.

Shanti Van Chowk and Rajghat emerged as pressure points after some motorists travelling from Salimgarh Bypass towards ITO took restricted roads instead of the advised diversions, Delhi Police said. Traffic also tightened below IP Flyover and near Hanuman Mandir, where vehicles were diverted towards Mori Gate and some drivers tried to take Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg towards Old Delhi Railway Station.

The full-dress rehearsal tested security, traffic management and personnel movement for Saturday’s Independence Day ceremony at Red Fort. Delhi Police said it had identified areas to improve and would strengthen arrangements. Police said patrols, hotel and homestay checks, mock drills and airport screening had been stepped up across the city.