A full-dress rehearsal for Independence Day will be held at Delhi’s Red Fort on Thursday, August 13, resulting in traffic restrictions in certain parts of the city. Several major roads will remain closed, and the routes for commercial vehicles and buses will be diverted during this period, according to a traffic advisory. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15. The full-dress rehearsal for the Independence Day ceremony takes place on August 13. These restrictions have been imposed to ensure security and effective traffic management around the Red Fort.
According to the traffic police advisory:
Roads surrounding the Red Fort will be closed to general traffic from 4:00 AM to 10:00 AM on August 13. Only vehicles displaying valid ‘rehearsal’ labels will be permitted on these routes.
Affected roads include Netaji Subhash Marg (from Delhi Gate to Chatta Rail Chowk), Lothian Road (from GPO Delhi to Chatta Rail Chowk), SP Mukherjee Marg (from HC Sen Marg to Yamuna Bazar Chowk), Chandni Chowk Road (from Fountain Chowk to Red Fort), Nishad Raj Marg (from Ring Road to Netaji Subhash Marg), Esplanade Road and its link road to Netaji Subhash Marg, and the stretch of Ring Road between Rajghat and ISBT.
The traffic police have advised motorists without parking labels to avoid the India Gate C-Hexagon, Copernicus Marg, Mandi House, Sikandra Road, W-Point, A-Point (Tilak Marg), Mathura Road, BSZ Marg, Netaji Subhash Marg, and JL Nehru Marg during the rehearsal. The Old Iron Bridge (Purana Loha Pul) and Geeta Colony Bridge leading towards Shanti Van will also remain closed.
The movement of goods-carrying vehicles between Nizamuddin Khatta and Wazirabad Bridge will be prohibited from midnight on August 12 until 11:00 AM on August 13.
During this period, the operation of inter-state buses between Maharana Pratap ISBT and Sarai Kale Khan ISBT will not be permitted. Local city buses, including DTC buses, will not operate on the Ring Road between ISBT Kashmere Gate and the NH-24/NH-9 (or NH ‘T’-point) at Nizamuddin Khatta from midnight until 11:00 AM. These buses will be diverted via alternative routes.
Normal bus services are expected to resume after 11:00 AM on August 13. During this period, several roads will remain closed to both inter-state and DTC buses. These include Lothian Road, Netaji Subhash Marg, SP Mukherjee Marg, the Ring Road stretch between Nizamuddin Khatta and the northern loop of ISBT Kashmere Gate, the area around C-Hexagon, Sher Shah Road, Dr. Zakir Hussain Road, Pandara Road, Shahjahan Road, Akbar Road, Rajpath, Ashoka Road, KG Marg, Copernicus Marg, Tilak Marg, Purana Qila Road, Sikandra Road, Bhagwan Das Road, and BSZ Marg.
Additionally, traffic restrictions will be in place on Ashoka Road (between Windsor Place and C-Hexagon), KG Marg (between Ferozshah Road and C-Hexagon), Vikas Marg (beyond the loop towards Delhi Secretariat), and Mathura Road (between Ashram Chowk and W-Point). The traffic police have advised the public to use alternative routes.
Plan Ahead
The traffic advisory advises commuters to:
Plan their journey in advance and start early.
Avoid restricted roads and use alternative routes.
Follow traffic signs, diversion routes, and instructions from traffic police personnel.
Allow extra time for the journey and cooperate with traffic staff on duty.
Please plan ahead for a smooth and hassle-free journey.
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the Delhi Police has issued a high alert across the capital in view of terrorist threats ahead of August 15. The Delhi Police has released a list of 19 terrorists who pose a threat to security and has put up posters across the capital.
