New Delhi: You enter the Dwarka tunnel from the Shiv Murti side, believing the hardest part of the commute is over. A year ago, this stretch was unveiled as a game-changer, a signal-free corridor linking Dwarka, Gurgaon, Vasant Kunj and the airport.But the promise of seamless travel quickly gives way to chaos. A scooter ahead slows down, hesitates near the entry point close to Shiv Murti, then casually cuts into the wrong lane to avoid a nearly 6km detour. Within seconds, others begin following.Situated near IGI Airport on the Delhi stretch of Dwarka Expressway, the 3.6km-long, eight-lane structure is India’s longest and widest urban road tunnel, designed carefully to avoid interference with airport radar and security systems.Equipped with CCTV surveillance, a dedicated control room, emergency exits and even a 500-metre blast-proof section near the airport, the tunnel was envisioned as a high-tech mobility solution meant to streamline traffic between Gurgaon, Dwarka, Vasant Kunj, Faridabad, Manesar and northern destinations such as Sonipat, Panipat and Chandigarh. The idea was simple: reduce pressure on surface roads and make travel smoother.Instead, the tunnel is steadily turning into a violation corridor.Despite restrictions, two-wheelers routinely enter the tunnel, and once one vehicle breaks the rule, others quickly follow. According to signboards installed along the stretch, vehicles entering from the Shiv Murti side can legally take a U-turn only after nearly 6km at Bharthal Chowk. Emergency U-turn points, meant strictly for contingencies, have been sealed with boom barriers. But wherever barriers are missing, the gaps are informally turning into shortcuts. Some commuters simply turn around and begin driving against traffic.For instance, in under 30 minutes, TOI spotted nearly 10-15 vehicles either driving on the wrong side or attempting illegal turns. First came the bikes. Then autos squeezed through. Soon, even cars began edging into the wrong lane as though it were an accepted shortcut, all on a high-speed corridor where vehicles moved at 70-80 kmph.Brakes screeching, horns blaring and headlights flashing, yet the violations barely seem to surprise anyone anymore. One driver said the confusion is worsened by navigation apps and closed access points. “There is a slip road that earlier connected towards Bijwasan and Kapashera, but it has now been shut. Google Maps still does not show it as closed, so people keep taking loops and getting confused,” he said.Dwarka resident Rejimon CK, who uses the tunnel daily, said, “If someone driving on the right side assumes, even for a second, that they are on an expressway and safe to drive at the designated speed, it can be disastrous. Suddenly, a vehicle may appear on the wrong side or take a U-turn. At times, the sudden change in lighting at the tunnel entry and exit points also creates dangerous blind conditions. Add wrong-side driving and U-turns to that, and the risk increases further. Almost all kinds of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and even heavy vehicles, which are otherwise restricted, can be seen moving inside the tunnel.”Transport expert Anil Chikara said the misuse of emergency infrastructure was clearly visible during his visit. “Emergency cuts created for vehicle-related emergencies were being randomly used as shortcuts. At times, congestion was also visible inside the tunnel,” he said.What stood out equally was the absence of enforcement. Though marshals were expected to be deployed by NHAI inside the tunnel, none were visible during TOI’s visit. No traffic police personnel were seen either, even as violations unfolded one after another, leaving one of the capital’s most high-profile road projects looking dangerously under-policed.An NHAI official said, “NHAI’s role is limited to the construction and maintenance of roads. As far as the ban on the entry of two-wheelers and other traffic violations are concerned, enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of local authorities. However, the issue regarding marshals will be looked into, and they are expected to remain present at the site.”According to a traffic police source, “About 1,000 two-wheelers have been prosecuted for using the tunnel route despite the restriction, particularly near the Shiv Murti entry and exit point. Routine enforcement drives and checks are regularly conducted to curb violations. However, many commuters continue to enter from the Gurgaon and Dwarka sides, and that needs to be addressed at the entry points themselves. That aspect will also be examined.”As if the violations were not enough, the tunnel stretch at times becomes a congestion point for people travelling towards Delhi during peak hours. A resident shared dashcam footage from Wednesday morning showing a heavy pile-up near the NH-8 exit. Another commuter wrote, “This is an everyday situation during peak office hours. The stretch from Dwarka Sector 24, where traffic merges with UER before entering the tunnel, and the exit towards Gurgaon on NH-8 after the Aerocity tunnel, remains jampacked daily. The same situation repeats in the evening as well.”
