The Delhi Traffic Police has issued a traffic advisory for August 15 in light of the Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the nation.
Several roads around the Red Fort will remain closed for general traffic from 4 am to 10 am on August 15, with only labelled vehicles being permitted on the affected stretches.
The roads to be closed include Netaji Subhash Marg between Delhi Gate and Chatta Rail Chowk, Lothian Road between GPO Delhi and Chatta Rail Chowk, S P Mukherjee Marg between H C Sen Marg and Yamuna Bazar Chowk, Chandni Chowk Road between Fountain Chowk and Red Fort, Nishad Raj Marg between Ring Road and Netaji Subhash Marg, Esplanade Road and its link road to Netaji Subhash Marg, and Ring Road between Rajghat and ISBT.
Vehicles without parking labels have been advised to avoid C-Hexagon India Gate, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, Sikandra Road, Tilak Marg, Mathura Road, BSZ Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg, J L Nehru Marg and stretches of Ring Road and Outer Ring Road between Nizamuddin Khatta and ISBT Kashmere Gate during the restricted hours.
For north-south movement, commuters can use routes through Aurobindo Marg, Safdarjung Road, Kamal Ataturk Marg, Kautilya Marg, Mother Teresa Crescent, Park Street, Mandir Marg, Panchkuian Road and Rani Jhansi Road.
Another alternative is through Connaught Place, Minto Road, Bhavbhuti Marg, Ajmeri Gate, Shradhanand Marg, Lahori Gate Chowk, Naya Bazar, Peeli Kothi and S P Mukherjee Marg. Commuters can also cross the Yamuna via Nizamuddin Bridge, Pushta Road, GT Road and Yudhishthira Setu.
For east-west movement, commuters can use NH-24/NH-9, Nizamuddin Khatta, Barapulla Road, DND, Ring Road, Bhairon Road, Mathura Road and other available connecting routes. Vikas Marg, IP Marg, DDU Marg and Minto Road can also be used. The DND-NH-24-Yudhishthira Setu-Signature Bridge-Wazirabad Bridge corridor will remain available.
The Old Iron Bridge and Geeta Colony Bridge towards Shanti Van will remain closed.
Goods vehicles will not be permitted between Nizamuddin Khatta and Wazirabad Bridge from midnight on August 14 till 11 am on August 15. Interstate buses will also not be allowed between Maharana Pratap ISBT and Sarai Kale Khan ISBT during this period.
Local city buses, including DTC buses, will not ply on Ring Road between ISBT Kashmere Gate and Nizamuddin Khatta from midnight on August 14 to 11 am on August 15. Several roads, including Lothian Road, Netaji Subhash Marg, S P Mukherjee Marg, Vikas Marg, Mathura Road and roads around C-Hexagon and Central Delhi, will also face restrictions for inter-city and DTC buses.
Buses ordinarily terminating at Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Old Delhi Railway Station will be curtailed or diverted to locations including Ramlila Ground, Mori Gate, Tis Hazari and Boulevard Road. Normal bus services will be restored after 11 am.
Passengers travelling to Old Delhi Railway Station, New Delhi Railway Station and ISBT Kashmere Gate have been advised to plan their journeys in advance and use the designated alternative routes. There will be no restriction on access to J P N Hospital.
Buses from Trans-Yamuna areas, Baraf Khana, Ajmeri Gate, Minto Bridge, Mall Road and South Delhi will face diversions, with several services terminating at Mori Gate, Boulevard Road or opposite Turkman Gate, depending on their destination.
Interstate buses entering Delhi from Ghaziabad will use Bhopura Chungi Road and Wazirabad Road before entering ISBT Kashmere Gate. Buses from Dhaula Kuan will be diverted via Ring Road, Punjabi Bagh, Azadpur and Chandgi Ram Akhara. Buses from Faridabad may terminate at Sarai Kale Khan or use alternate routes towards ISBT Kashmere Gate.
The traffic police has advised commuters to reach their destinations early to avoid last-minute inconvenience. Informative signages will be placed at important traffic junctions.
DTC recovery vans will be stationed at Gokhale Marg, Ghata Masjid, Yamuna Bazar, Delhi Gate and Chatta Rail Chowk from 5 am on August 15 until traffic diversions are cleared.
The public has been advised not to carry cameras, binoculars, remote-controlled car keys, umbrellas, handbags, briefcases, transistors, cigarette lighters, tiffin boxes and water bottles to the Independence Day venue.