The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has initiated preparation of a Detailed Project Report to address mounting traffic congestion at the Sarai Kale Khan loop on the DND–Sohna National Highway corridor.
The move comes as the strategic junction faces increasing pressure from multiple expressways converging at the critical transport hub in south-east Delhi.
Sarai Kale Khan has emerged as a major multimodal transport nexus, serving as the terminus for the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, and the upcoming DND-Sohna link to the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.
The junction also facilitates access to the Sarai Kale Khan Inter-State Bus Terminus, Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station, and the recently operational RRTS station that began services in February 2026.
With the upcoming commissioning of the DND–Sohna National Highway corridor, the location is expected to witness a substantial increase in traffic volumes, necessitating timely intervention to ensure smooth and efficient traffic movement.
The six-lane DND–Sohna highway project spans approximately 59 kilometres and was developed at an estimated cost of Rs 4,463 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.
The corridor connects Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, Gurugram and Sohna, and includes eight elevated sections totalling 12.03 kilometres, 10 flyovers, and a 140-metre network arch bridge over the Agra Canal near Kalindi Kunj.
The DPR will evaluate suitable infrastructure interventions aimed at enhancing capacity, reducing travel time and ensuring safety as well as more efficient movement of vehicles through the corridor.
It will also ensure that the operational benefits of the DND–Sohna corridor are fully realized upon its commissioning by enabling seamless connectivity at this critical interchange.
Transport experts have long identified Sarai Kale Khan as a critical bottleneck where gains from upgraded highways are lost to junction congestion.
A 2018 study by the School of Planning and Architecture found that whilst travel time between Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan improved by 26 per cent during peak hours following NH-24 widening, the Sarai Kale Khan junction remained a major impediment to traffic flow.
The DPR preparation represents part of broader efforts to improve regional connectivity ahead of the Noida International Airport opening at Jewar.
The corridor is designed to divert airport-bound traffic away from central Delhi, enabling travellers from South Delhi, Faridabad and Gurugram to access the airport directly without entering congested city areas.
