Ashram flyover extension opens for heavy vehicles

However, construction on the up-ramps for vehicles coming from Sarai Kale Khan towards Ashram is still ongoing

More than three months after the inauguration of the Ashram extension flyover, the key 1.42-km stretch on the Ring Road was formally opened for heavy vehicles on Monday, with the Public Works Department (PWD) completing the relocation of high-tension wires along the DND Flyway-end of the flyover.

The Ashram flyover extension, that connects the old Ashram flyover with the DND Flyway, was inaugurated by the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on March 6. (HT Photo)

However, construction on the up-ramps for vehicles coming from Sarai Kale Khan towards Ashram is still ongoing, with PWD minister Atishi saying that the work will likely be completed on June 4.

The Ashram flyover extension, that connects the old Ashram flyover with the DND Flyway, was inaugurated by the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on March 6, but the use of the infrastructure was restricted only to light vehicles due to the presence of the low hanging high-tension wires, and an overhead iron barrier was placed at the entrance of the flyover extension to discourage heavy vehicles from using it.

On March 14, HT had reported that heavy and medium vehicles were ramming into the overhead barrier, which was placed at a height of 2.5m, and the barrier would go on to be toppled multiple times before traffic marshalls were deployed to stop these vehicles from using the infrastructure. This, however, led to congestion on alternate routes.

At the time of the inauguration of the flyover extension, the PWD had announced that the work to relocate the wires would take only a month, but the department has overshot that deadline by more than two months.

On Monday, the PWD, in an official statement, said, “Commuters are now likely to undertake a hassle-free journey as with the shift of heavy vehicles on flyover, load on the ground level route is expected to decrease significantly in the coming days.”

Atishi said, “With the removal of restrictions, the travel time for both commercial and private vehicles is expected to decrease significantly, leading to improved efficiency and reduced congestion.”

However, commuters travelling from Sarai Kale Khan towards Ashram are still forced to take the surface level route and continue to face a harrowing time.

Vivek Gupta, who travels from Noida to Maharani Bagh every day, said that the PWD needs to resurface the roads on surface level on both side of the Ashram flyover which are in very bad shape and full of potholes. Yogesh Chauhan, who was travelling from the Delhi-Meerut Expressway towards Lajpat Nagar, meanwhile said that said the full benefits of the flyover extension will only be realised after the completion of the last remaining loop.

Dr S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of traffic engineering and safety division of Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), said PWD should focus on completing the associated infrastructure for pedestrians, and on re-carpeting surface level roads which have been badly damaged during the construction.

“Ideally this work should have been completed before the inauguration of the flyover extension. The surface level roads are in a very poor state and are full of potholes. There is a temple located near the flyover, but no pedestrian access has been planned, and footpaths are still incomplete. PWD should complete these associated infrastructure,” he said.