Noida: The 3.5-kilometer stretch of Vishwakarma Road, connecting the Sector 59 metro station to the Sector 62 junction at NH-9, continues to be a major bottleneck during rush hours, despite being one of the widest corridors in the city. Measuring over 40 feet in width and featuring U-turns for signal-free travel along with dedicated service lanes on both sides, this road serves as a critical mobility link between Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Noida. It houses numerous offices, hospitals, educational institutions, and manufacturing units.
Why Does the Stretch Get Congested?
Traffic spillover from multiple cuts connecting residential and commercial hubs along the route adds to the volume. Unauthorized and haphazardly parked autos and e-rickshaws near the three metro stations on the stretch, along with roadside encroachments, further exacerbate the squeeze. A comprehensive survey conducted last year revealed that the stretch witnesses daily traffic of over 50,000 vehicles.
Vikram Sharma, a resident of Sector 62 who regularly uses this route to commute to Anand Vihar, told TOI that during off-peak hours, it takes him about 15 minutes to cross the stretch. "But during peak traffic hours, it could extend well beyond 40 minutes," he said.
Commuter Complaints and Encroachments
Sunil Kumar, a commuter caught in Thursday's rush hour traffic, said e-rickshaws frequently halt mid-road near markets, metro stations, and society gates, creating bottlenecks. Residents also highlighted growing encroachment on roads, footpaths, and green belts outside offices, hospitals, and educational institutes by unauthorized vendors, forcing pedestrians onto the carriageway.
Gopal Sharma, general secretary of the Rajat Vihar RWA, noted, "Traffic crawls at intersections near Khoda Mandi, Labour chowk to NIB chowk, and Mamura chowk, where pushcarts, parked vehicles, and e-rickshaws choke the carriageway. Traffic cops have not been deployed at Khoda Mandi intersection despite a recent meeting with CP Lakshmi Singh on the issue."
Rajendra Kumar Uprety of Sector 62 said wrong-side driving, particularly by e-rickshaws and autos amid the daily rush to offices, factories, and colleges, has made the stretch accident-prone. He cited poor enforcement around metro stations and commercial complexes in the adjoining Nevada village as a key cause.
Surendra Kumar Gupta, president of the Federation of Sector 62 RWAs, said, "Sector 62 faces severe traffic congestion, a spike in chain snatching and burglaries, and frequent stray cattle incidents causing serious injuries — all with little effective intervention from authorities."
Noida Authority's Decongestion Plan
Noida Authority has begun clearing bottlenecks near sectors 62, 63, and NH-9. Officials claim that a public toilet at the Sector 62 junction, flagged as an obstruction, has been removed. Work has also started on a 530-meter circular skywalk over the roundabout to create a grade-separated pedestrian corridor.
Authority's general manager SP Singh told TOI that a broader plan is in place to ease commuting between Sector 62 and Mamura, including removal of unauthorized vendors, widening of roads and U-turns. "We have issued a tender to hire an agency for this project. We aim to fix this road in six months," he said.
The reclaimed toilet site, according to DCP (Traffic) Abhay Kumar Mishra, is likely to be used as a dedicated stand for autos and e-rickshaws heading towards Vijay Nagar, Khoda, and Anand Vihar, with a connecting road to NH-9. He added that a green belt is planned nearby. Mishra said congestion had eased somewhat after part of the Sector 62 underpass, shut for CISF work, reopened on June 10. Using AI-based and control room monitoring, travel time on the stretch during peak hour has been cut, he said, with marshals deployed daily to clear encroachment.
"The traffic department currently has 46 sub-inspectors and 29 marshals, with peak-hour deployment at high-pressure spots, including sectors 62, 63, 51, and 18, besides Chhajarsi, Dadri, and Dankaur," Mishra added.
