Crucial NE Delhi flyover misses yet another deadline

The 1.5-km flyover on Mangal Pandey Marg in Delhi is only 66% complete, missing its October 1 deadline due to power line relocations and tree cutting delays.

An under-construction 1.5-km flyover on Mangal Pandey Marg in northeast Delhi — part of a proposed signal-free corridor from Signature Bridge to the Loni border with Ghaziabad — has missed its deadline of October 1, with Public Works Department (PWD) officials confirming the project is only 66% complete.

Officials said the project is only 66% completed. (HT photo)

A new deadline for the project is yet to be announced, the officials said.

The project, launched in February 2023, was initially expected to be completed by July 31 this year before the deadline was extended to October 1 due to the slow progress of civil work, a lack of permission for transplanting trees, and delays in transfer of utilities. However, PWD officials said, a recent review of the project by the department shows that the flyover still faces multiple hurdles, including the relocation of high-tension power lines and a lack of tree cutting permissions, among other complications.

“The two main hurdles are the relocation of high-tension power lines and tree cutting permissions,” a senior PWD official associated with the project, on condition of anonymity, said. The official added that the discom in question has dismantled all the poles in the alignment of the flyover, and that only the work of cross bonding remains in the stretch in front of the Mandoli jail gate.

Discom officials did not comment on the matter.

The official said on September 20, a joint inspection was carried out by PWD officials, private agency executing the project and independent quality assurance officials, which revealed that all 18 girders for the project have been erected, with shuttering work currently in progress.

“All the PSC (prestressed concrete) girders have been erected, and 22 deck slabs have been casted. The contractor has been asked to increase the pace of the work,” the official said.

A PWD report dated September 20 stated, “The road on both sides along the stretch (project site) is in poor condition and big potholes are present on the entire stretch which is a matter of great concern. Several reminders have been sent to the executive engineer but to no avail. The situation is totally unacceptable and needs rectification without delay. If any mishap happens it will be the responsibility of the agency and field staff.”

HT has seen a copy of the report.

The 7km stretch between Signature Bridge and the Loni border passes several highly congested colonies of northeast Delhi such as Dilshad Garden, Nand Nagari, Sarhad Puri, Gonda, Karawal Nagar, Mustafabad, and Gokalpuri, necessitating a signal-free corridor for faster vehicular movement between north Delhi and Ghaziabad.

HT had on May 10 and August 26 reported that tree-cutting permissions for the flyover on Mangal Pandey Marg — a crucial part of the signal-free corridor — has been pending for over a year, with the forest department stating that PWD had illegally felled some trees. The matter is currently under investigation, contributing to the delays.