Noida: The 3.5-kilometer stretch of Vishwakarma Road, connecting the Sector 59 metro station to the Sector 62 junction at NH-9, remains a significant bottleneck during peak hours, despite being one of the city's widest corridors. Measuring over 40 feet in width, featuring U-turns for signal-free travel and dedicated service lanes on both sides, this road serves as a crucial link between Delhi, Ghaziabad, and Noida, housing numerous offices, hospitals, educational institutions, and manufacturing units.
Key Causes of Congestion
Traffic spillover from multiple cuts connecting residential and commercial hubs along the route adds to the volume. Unauthorized and haphazardly parked autorickshaws and e-rickshaws near the stretch's three metro stations, along with roadside encroachments, further exacerbate the squeeze. Commuters report that during off-peak hours, crossing the stretch takes about 15 minutes, but during peak traffic, it can extend beyond 40 minutes.
Survey Data and Commuter Experiences
A comprehensive survey conducted last year revealed that the stretch witnesses daily traffic of over 50,000 vehicles. Commuters feel the squeeze as autorickshaws and e-rickshaws block turns and access across the stretch, from the NH-9 entry point into Sector 62 to areas near the three metro stations. Sunil Kumar, a commuter caught in Thursday's rush hour, noted that e-rickshaws frequently halt mid-road near markets, metro stations, and society gates, creating bottlenecks.
Residents also highlight growing encroachment on roads, footpaths, and green belts outside offices, hospitals, and educational institutes by unauthorized vendors, forcing pedestrians onto the carriageway. Gopal Sharma, Rajat Vihar RWA general secretary, stated that 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. He added that traffic police have not been deployed at Khoda Mandi intersection despite a recent meeting with CP Lakshmi Singh.
Safety Concerns
Rajendra Kumar Uprety of Sector 62 pointed out that wrong-side driving, particularly by e-rickshaws and autorickshaws 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, noted that Sector 62 faces severe traffic congestion, a spike in chain snatching and burglaries, and frequent stray cattle incidents causing serious injuries, 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 started on a 530-meter circular skywalk over the roundabout to create a grade-separated pedestrian corridor. Authority's general manager SP Singh stated 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. A tender has been issued to hire an agency for this project, with a target to fix the road in six months.
The reclaimed toilet site, according to DCP (Traffic) Abhay Kumar Mishra, is likely to be used as a dedicated stand for autorickshaws and e-rickshaws heading towards Vijay Nagar, Khoda, and Anand Vihar, with a connecting road to NH-9. A green belt is planned nearby. Mishra added that 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 reduced, 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.
