The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has suggested that the road till Gol Dak Khana roundabout be made one-way for the next 18 months, till the IGI link is constructed. The snag: Delhi Traffic Police opposes the plan tooth and nail, and Joint Commissioner (Traffic) S N Srivastav met DMRC officials recently to put the idea across.

As per DMRC’s plans, outgoing traffic from CP should be barred for construction work; traffic towards Outer Circle can continue as before. “According to our plan, eight metres of road will be open for traffic,” DMRC PRO Anuj Dayal says. “We have tabled our suggestion, and a final decision lies with the traffic police.”

But traffic officials say Baba Kharak Singh Marg is an arterial road connecting southwest Delhi with the city’s heart. “It also connects east with west Delhi,” a senior traffic officer says. “Connaught Place will be in a complete mess if this road is made one-way.”

DMRC officers have suggested that the vehicles going out of CP can exit through the Shivaji Stadium road through Gol Market. But the traffic officer says, “Gol Market roundabout would not be able to handle the load.”

The RML roundabout is also going to see massive changes in the coming months. DMRC has assessed that rocks near Talkatora Stadium will force it to use cut-and-cover method, which occupies more road space. Result: traffic leaving from Mother Teresa Crescent Road will be ply as before, while vehicles heading for central Delhi will be diverted to Park Street.

“We are trying to sort out this problem also,” the traffic officer said. “We will have huge bottlenecks at RML roundabout if we stick to DMRC’s suggestion.”