Ashram, a perennial traffic chokepoint

New Delhi: Just when you thought that crossing south Delhi’s Ashram intersection had become a smooth ride, what with the new Metro station to handle passenger rush

New Delhi: Just when you thought that crossing south Delhi’s Ashram intersection had become a smooth ride, what with the new Metro station to handle passenger rush and the toll-free Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway right next to it, the Delhi government’s Public Works Department (PWD) started constructing a 750-metre underpass there that is likely to affect vehicular movement for several months.

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One of the busiest intersections in the city, which as per Delhi Traffic Police estimates sees over 3.5 lakh vehicles during peak hours daily, has been a perennial chokepoint. Traffic officials said making the DND flyway toll-free in 2017 has also increased number of vehicles on this stretch.

“The tunnel road will definitely solve the problem of high traffic volume gathering at the Ashram intersection. However, taking lessons from construction activities undertaken here in the past, civic agencies will have to make diversions and manage traffic efficiently till the project is completed,” said S Velmurugan, senior principal scientist, traffic engineering and road safety division of Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI).

Vehicular movement had been restricted at this stretch for nearly four years, due to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) occupying the stretch for the construction of the Ashram Metro station on the Pink Line (connecting Shiv Vihar and Majlis Park). The stretch was opened to motorists in its full capacity last year, after construction work was completed.

“After the opening of the Metro station, the traffic situation had eased at the intersection. Curves were smoothened and more road space was available to accommodate the increased number of motorists at the stretch,” a senior Delhi traffic police official said.

The Ashram chowk is an important link between central and south Delhi with the satellite towns of Noida and Faridabad. The intersection connects Mathura Road, National Highway-2 and the Ring Road (linking Lajpat Nagar-Sarai Kale Khan and DND flyover).

Along with Metro construction, a large number of public utilities, located underground along the stretch, have also resulted in frequent repair work, which involved digging up the roads and diverting traffic from time to time, thus aggravating the jam situation and hampering smooth flow of vehicles.

Traffic officials said with roads to be dug up again along the route, vehicles will be diverted as per the requirement of the construction agency. The ongoing underpass will connect Nizamuddin with the CSIR Apartments on Mathura Road and the project is expected to take around 1.5 years to complete.

“Traffic will be diverted as construction progresses. Boards and hoardings have been put up in the area warning commuters of the construction,” another traffic official said.

BOX:

WHAT AILS ASHRAM CHOWK

-High traffic volume (it is a connecting link between central Delhi, south Delhi, Noida and Faridabad)

-Private vehicles and auto rickshaws stopping to pick and drop Metro commuters

-On-going construction of the underpass

-Large number of underground utilities that results in frequent repair work