Kanwar Yatra traffic advisory: Delhi-Meerut Expressway to close from July 22 for heavy vehicles; traffic to be diverted

As part of preparations for the annual Kanwar Yatra, the Uttar Pradesh police have announced that the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) will be closed to traffic during the pilgrimage period. This year, the DME will be off-limits to heavy vehicles starting July 22, with restrictions extending to all vehicles, including private cars, from July 29. These measures will remain in place until 8:00 pm on August 5.


The Kanwar Yatra is a significant annual pilgrimage that sees thousands of devotees travelling to Haridwar to collect holy Ganga water. This water is then offered at the Dudheswar Nath temple in Ghaziabad. To accommodate the influx of pilgrims and ensure their safety, the Uttar Pradesh traffic police have devised a comprehensive traffic management plan.


Alternative routes for commuters

Delhi to Ghaziabad: Vehicles coming from Delhi's Tulsi Niketan, Seemapuri, and Anand Vihar borders towards Ghaziabad will be redirected via Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg to UP Gate, and then along NH-9.

To Haridwar, Amroha, Moradabad, and Lucknow: Traffic heading towards these destinations will be rerouted through UP Gate, NH-9, Dasna Intersection, and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway.


Delhi and Hapur to Ghaziabad City: Vehicles travelling via Atmaram Steel Tiraha will need to use NH-9 instead.

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Loni Border restrictions

The movement of vehicles from the Loni border will be entirely restricted. Additionally, vehicles heading from Santosh Medical Cut (NH-9) towards Meerut Tiraha will be stopped. There will be no entry for heavy vehicles from Gaur Green, Khoda, Kalapatthar, Sector 62, Chhijarasi, and Kanavani to Indirapuram via NH-9.

For those coming from Hapur via Bhojpur towards Modinagar, new routes will be designated to ensure smooth traffic flow. Trucks will be barred from using Gangnahar Patri Kanwad road, Pipeline road, NH-34 (formerly NH-58), and the DME. Moreover, vehicles from the Vasundhara flyover heading towards Mohannagar will also be stopped.

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Kanwar camps and pilgrims

The police have also implemented specific guidelines regarding the setting up of Kanwar camps. As per reports, no pilgrim groups will be allowed to set up camps along NH-9 or DME. Such camps will only be permitted on traditional routes, with permissions granted by the police. To date, 214 applications for setting up Kanwar camps have been received, of which 116 have been approved.