First day of IIIT junction diversion forces more than 10,000 IT workers to take longer routes, triggers traffic jams

Traffic is piling up near Hotel Radisson as commuters are diverted on the Gachibowli-Miyapur road amid traffic restrictions for the ongoing multi-level flyover and underpass at IIIT junction. | Photo credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR

The first day of traffic restrictions at IIIT junction due to the construction of a multi-level flyover and underpass saw over 10,000 IT workers adapt to modified routes as traffic was diverted to the Gachibowli-Miyapur road and Radisson Hotel junction. While the police described the diversions as largely manageable, commuters reported longer travel times, congestion and confusion at one of the key gateways to Hyderabad’s IT corridor.

The restriction on DLF Road Number 1 has effectively closed one of the two access routes used by employees working at the DLF and TCS campuses, forcing all traffic to the Radisson Hotel stretch.

“Around 25% of commuters used to enter via DLF road number 1, while the rest entered via Radisson Hotel road. Due to the restrictions, all employees were asked to use the second option, which increases the traffic load on this stretch,” explained Gachibowli Traffic Inspector Gona Suresh.

The two IT companies together employ 10,000 to 12,000 employees per day under the current hybrid work model. As per the revised traffic plan, vehicles traveling from Lingampally towards DLF road are diverted through Gachibowli junction and Radisson Hotel junction before reaching DLF road. The diversion added 1.5km to the journey and added at least 10 minutes to the journey.

Traffic diversion has been implemented by the Cyberabad traffic police from July 1. | Photo credit: By arrangement

The restrictions come at an intersection that already carries enormous volumes of traffic. Official estimates suggest that 2.6 to 2.8 million vehicles ply between Lingampally and Gachibowli daily, while DLF Road itself carries around 2 million vehicles every day. The Radisson Hotel junction is already a major bottleneck as three lanes from the P. Janardhan Reddy (PJR) flyover and two from the Gachibowli junction converge into a road that is barely wide enough for three lanes.

Traffic is picking up near the Radisson Hotel in Hyderabad. | Photo credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR

Commuters from Radisson Hotel are diverted via Gachibowli Junction before proceeding via Indiranagar to reach IIIT, adding a distance of around 4 km and a travel time of around 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, excavations for the underpass have taken up 18 to 21 meters of the median along Old Mumbai Highway, leaving only 2 to 2.5 lanes available for traffic, which varies in different stretches.

Minor traffic jams were reported near the TCS campus on Wednesday morning, where police are allowing only authorized vehicles on the campus access road after verifying employee IDs.

Work on the multi-level flyovers is offering equal measure of hope and dread to motorists at the busy IIIT Road and Gachibowli Junction. | Photo credit: RAMAKRISHNA G.

“We gave TCS personnel access in one lane for a distance of about 200 metres. Several vehicles queued up during ID verification, while some motorists mistakenly entered, assuming it was a through road. They were then asked to turn around and create short delays,” Suresh said. TCS has now been asked to install boards saying ‘Entrance for TCS employees only’, while employees have also been advised to use the alternate campus gate from IIIT-Lingampally road.

Bharath Krishnan, a University of Hyderabad scholar who regularly uses the DLF road, said the junction had long been a bottleneck even before the latest restrictions. “With less road width and ongoing construction, the road has become more dangerous. Many commuters used to use DLF Road to bypass Gachibowli junction. Routing all of them through the junction has increased congestion and further waiting time,” he said.

The traffic police claimed that it would take several days for motorists to familiarize themselves with the modified traffic scheme. Officials said the internal roads in DLF have also started witnessing increased traffic from commuters trying to bypass the main junction.

Published – 1 Jul 2026 20:22 IST