5-arm Bristol Chowk set for overhaul to cut snarls in Gurgaon

Gurgaon: For thousands of commuters navigating the city every day, Bristol Chowk has long been synonymous with traffic jams, long signal waits and frustrating peak-hour delays. The survey was conducted by Traffic Engineering Centre (TEC) of traffic policeNow, the traffic police have prepared an extensive traffic management plan aimed at untangling the persistent bottlenecks at the busy five-arm junction. Signal shift, new U-turns, eliminating the direct right-turn movements and a separate green phase — these are in the works as Bristol Chowk gets ready for the traffic makeover.Located near Sikanderpur, Bristol Chowk occupies a critical position in the city’s road network, connecting major corridors such as MG Road, Golf Course Road, Faridabad Road and adjoining village roads. The intersection handles a massive volume of traffic daily, with vehicles from different directions converging at a single point, often resulting in gridlock during rush hours.A traffic official told TOI, “These measures are intended to channelise traffic into designated paths and discourage the last-minute lane changes that frequently contribute to congestion at Bristol Chowk. In addition, a new traffic signal is proposed specifically for village-bound traffic, allowing these movements to be integrated more effectively into the overall signal cycle.”Traffic authorities carried out a detailed operational study that has now formed the basis of a proposed redesign intended to improve both traffic flow and road safety. The study found that the junction’s problems stem not merely from the sheer number of vehicles but from the way traffic moves through the intersection.One of the most significant issues identified was the presence of multiple conflict points created by direct right-turn movements, particularly from the village road towards MG Road and Golf Course Road. These movements force vehicles to cut across busy streams of traffic, creating delays that ripple across the entire intersection. Traffic engineers observed that vehicles entering from the village side frequently interact with fast-moving traffic on the main carriageways, increasing both congestion and the risk of accidents.The complexity of the intersection is further heightened by the mismatch in road infrastructure. While some approaches to Bristol Chowk consist of four-lane divided carriageways and another is a six-lane corridor, the village approach remains comparatively narrow. This disparity often results in traffic merging and weaving in unpredictable ways, particularly during peak periods when road capacity is stretched to its limits.Traffic volume surveys conducted during the evening peak hour underscored the scale of the challenge. Between 6pm and 7pm, nearly 1,870 vehicles were recorded entering the junction from the Golf Course Road side alone, making it the busiest approach. The MG Road arm carried more than 1,500 vehicles during the same period, while the Faridabad side witnessed traffic volumes exceeding 1,300 vehicles, highlighting why even minor disruptions at Bristol Chowk can quickly snowball into lengthy queues stretching across adjoining roads.To address these issues, the proposed traffic management plan seeks to fundamentally alter some of the movement patterns that currently exist at the junction.DCP Prateek Gahlot said, “After receiving a complaint from the villagers, I visited Bristol Chowk along with other concerned officers and staff multiple times. We decided to move back the traffic signal around 50 metres towards Sikanderpur Metro station to ensure that vehicles stop before the proposed U-turn opening, allowing conflict-free U-turns for villagers.”One of the key recommendations is to eliminate the direct right turn from the village road towards MG Road. Instead of crossing multiple traffic streams, vehicles will be directed towards the Sikanderpur side, where they can take a designated U-turn before merging onto MG Road.The plan also seeks to streamline movement for vehicles travelling from the village side towards Golf Course Road. A dedicated exit route has been proposed for this traffic stream, which would operate through a signalised arrangement integrated with the existing Sikanderpur traffic signal. Officials believe that introducing a separate green phase for these vehicles will help reduce delays while preventing interference with through traffic on the main carriageways.