Long queues of vehicles stretched across parts of Delhi on Thursday morning as traffic restrictions imposed for the Independence Day full-dress rehearsal at Red Fort collided with the city’s peak-hour rush, leaving commuters navigating diversions, blocked roads and snarls on key routes.

The Delhi-Dehradun highway saw a build-up of vehicles after the movement of heavy vehicles was restricted from 10 p.m. on Wednesday until 11 a.m. on Thursday. The restrictions, coupled with the morning rush, led to a backlog that took some time to clear even after heavy vehicles were allowed to move.

Across central Delhi, road closures and diversions around Red Fort added to the congestion, with commuters heading towards railway stations, schools and offices finding familiar routes blocked or redirected.

“Trying to reach Railway station and all directions are blocked due to Independence Day prep. If you travel today, more roads are blocked than announced. Put in extra time,” a commuter posted on X.

One of the key pressure points was the stretch around Shanti Van Chowk and Rajghat. Traffic police said some commuters travelling from the Salimgarh Bypass towards ITO continued to take the familiar route via Shanti Van despite advisories on the diversions, bringing them into restricted stretches and adding to the congestion.

“Despite the traffic restrictions announced in advance, commuters did not follow the diversions and ended up getting stuck on the restricted routes. Our personnel were guiding them to take alternative routes,” said DCP (Traffic), Central Range, Nishant Gupta.

Another pressure point emerged beneath the IP Flyover and around the Hanuman Mandir stretch. Vehicles were being diverted towards Mori Gate, but some motorists attempted to use Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg towards Old Delhi Railway Station, creating another chokepoint.

Mr. Gupta added that the congestion on the Delhi-Dehradun highway was linked to the restriction on heavy vehicle movement. Once the restrictions were lifted, traffic continued to move slowly for some time as the accumulated backlog was cleared.

The traffic disruptions came as Delhi Police and other security agencies stepped up preparations for the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort. A full-dress rehearsal was held at the historic venue on Thursday to test security, traffic management and the movement of personnel ahead of the main ceremony on August 15.

The rehearsal offered residents in central Delhi a preview of the main ceremony, with helicopters showering the venue with tri colours as students assembled at the Red Fort in arrangements similar to those planned for Independence Day.

“The entire police force is on high alert. We conducted a full-dress rehearsal today, in which we identified areas for improvement and will further strengthen the arrangements based on those observations,” said Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Devesh Chandra Srivastava.

Security has been intensified around Red Fort and across several parts of central Delhi, with police personnel carrying out foot patrols, checking hotels and homestays, conducting mock drills and identifying habitual offenders. Bike Tiranga rallies have also been held as part of the preparations.

In north-east Delhi, around 200 police personnel, including officers and station house officers, participated in a mock drill focused on crowd control and responses to agitations, demonstrations and riot-like situations.

Personnel underwent practical training in the deployment of water cannons, Vajra vehicles, tear-smoke guns and other anti-riot equipment. The drill focused on coordination, quick response, formation and tactical positioning to deal with large gatherings and potential law-and-order challenges.

Meanwhile, security measures have also been strengthened at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport ahead of Independence Day. The Central Industrial Security Force has increased deployment, while random checks, thorough frisking and dummy security checks are being conducted as part of covert security audits.

During such checks, undercover personnel attempt to bypass security checkpoints with simulated prohibited items to test the alertness, response times and screening procedures of personnel on duty. Dog squads and Quick Response Teams have also been deployed, with operational drills continuing at the airport.

The airport has advised passengers to reach early as enhanced security screening could take longer than usual.

Published - August 14, 2026 02:43 am IST