If the roads in the national capital are to be made freer, then the street junctions and intersections have to be revamped to allow better traffic management, this is according to a draft report of the urban development ministry's high powered committee on decongesting Delhi. The panel suggests that rather than making streets signal-free, intersections should be improved to allow faster flow of traffic. It has identified and recommended removing 44 bottlenecks, as many as 16 bottlenecks in South and South East Delhi, followed by 10 congested stretches in North and North West Delhi which are to be removed.

The panel now advises the latter be given the shortest possible direct access to cross roads through at-grade crossings. Junctions should be improved, says the report, to ensure smoother traffic movement and safety of pedestrians by, among other steps, creating proper footpaths. This will entail spending of Rs 1,200 crore in two phases.

Widening of roads and removing encroachment have been proposed to accommodate more vehicles rather than constructing new flyovers and underpasses," said a senior official.

It adds that along rapid transit corridors, a grade-separated junction such as an overbridge might be considered but no such structure should be planned within 80 metres of a crossing.